FIFA Lifts AIFF Suspension After Supreme Court Terminated CoA's Mandate

FIFA has lifted the suspension of the All India Football Federation(AIFF), after the Supreme Court ended the mandate of the Committee of Administrators to handle the affairs of AIFF.

As a consequence of lifting of the AIFF ban, the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2022  scheduled to take place on 11-30 October 2022 will be held in India as planned.

"The Bureau of the FIFA Council has decided to lift the suspension that was imposed on the All India Football Federation (AIFF) due to undue third-party influence. The decision was taken after FIFA received confirmation that the mandate of the committee of administrators that was set up to assume the powers of the AIFF Executive Committee had been terminated and that the AIFF administration had regained full control of the AIFF's daily affairs. FIFA and the AFC will continue to monitor the situation and will support the AIFF in organising its elections in a timely manner", a press release by FIFA media stated.

It was on August 16 that FIFA suspended the AIFF with immediate effect citing the "undue influence from third parties".

In a press statement issued on August 16, the FIFA said that the suspension will be revoked once the order appointing the Committee of Administrators to assume the powers of the AIFF Executive Committee is repealed.

It may be noted that the Committee of Administrators was constituted under the orders of the Supreme Court following the removal of former Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel as the AIFF President. The CoA was appointed as an interim body to take care of the CoA affairs till the finalisation of the draft constitution and the completion of elections to the AIFF Executive Committee.

In the wake of suspension of AIFF, the Central Government last week moved an applicaiton requesting the Supreme Court to end the mandate of the CoA. Accepting the Centre's request, the Supreme Court on August 22 passed orders to terminate the mandate of the CoA and extended the dates for AIFF elections.