NEW DELHI: FIFA has suspended the All India Football Federation (AIFF) with immediate effect due to “undue influence from third parties”, world football’s governing body said on Monday.

The suspension also means that the Under-17 Women’s World Cup, which was scheduled to take place in India in October, cannot be held in the country as planned.

The AIFF is in disarray and being run by administrators after former chief and FIFA Council member Praful Patel stayed in office beyond his term without fresh elections, which courts ruled invalid.

The elections were to be held by December 2020 but were delayed due to an impasse over amendments to its constitution.

India’s highest court disbanded the AIFF in May and appointed a three-member Committee of Administrators to govern the sport, amend the AIFF’s constitution and conduct elections.

In response, FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation sent a team led by AFC general secretary Windsor John to meet Indian football stakeholders and laid down a roadmap for the AIFF to amend its statutes by the end of July and subsequently conclude elections at the latest by Sept 15.

But earlier this month, the India’s Supreme Court ordered elections to be held promptly — on Aug 28 — and said the elected committee would be an interim body for a period of three months.

“The suspension will be lifted once an order to set up a committee of administrators to assume the powers of the AIFF Executive Committee has been repealed and the AIFF administration regains full control of the AIFF’s daily affairs,” FIFA said in Monday’s statement.

“FIFA is in constant constructive contact with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in India and is hopeful that a positive outcome to the case may still be achieved,” FIFA added.

According to FIFA statutes, member federations must be free from legal and political interference in their respective countries.

Indian men’s and women’s national teams also cannot play junior or senior international games during the suspension.

Former men’s captain Bhaichung Bhutia called the suspension “very harsh”.

“At the same time I think it’s a great opportunity to get our system right,” he told Indian sports news outlet Sportstar. “And very important that all the stakeholders — the federations, state associations, sport ministry -- come together to get the system right and everybody work for the betterment of the sport.”

India captain Sunil Chhetri had recently advised his players “not pay too much attention” to the FIFA ban threat as the situation was out of their control.

India’s Supreme Court, however, is expected to take up a government plea to settle issues that led to the suspension by FIFA.

“I request that the AIFF matters pending before the court be urgently heard,” top government law officer Tushar Mehta told Supreme Court Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and A.S. Bopanna on Tuesday, according to the Press Trust of India.

The justices agreed to take up the matter on Wednesday.

The FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup is scheduled for Oct 11-30, with four games on the opening day including India against the United States and Brazil against Morocco in Group ‘A’.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2022