(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) –The world football body, FIFA, has kicked Sri Lanka out from the Asian qualifiers of the 2024 men’s Olympic football tournament and the U-23 Asia Cup.
The Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) has been notified that Sri Lanka cannot take part in the qualifiers for both tournaments as the FFSL has been suspended.
Sri Lanka had submitted its entry last year to participate in the Asian qualifiers for the 2024 men’s Olympic football tournament to be held in Paris and the AFC U23 Asia Cup to be held in Qatar.
However, in January this year the Bureau of the FIFA Council decided to suspend the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) due to Government interference.
The Bureau considered that the circumstances in which elections for a new FFSL Executive Committee took place on 14 January 2023 constituted undue interference by a third party in accordance with the FIFA Statutes.
“Accordingly, we must inform you that the FSSL’s men’s national team is not currently eligible to participate in the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament 2024 – Asian Qualifiers and the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™ – Qualifiers,” FIFA has told the FFSL in a letter.
The draw ceremony is scheduled to take place on 25 May 2023 and, the FFSL’s men’s national team will be removed from the competition should the suspension on FFSL not be lifted by Thursday, 11 May 2023, two weeks prior to the draw ceremony.
