FIFA has formally reinstated the Football Federation of Belize in time for Belize to play Montserrat in a qualifying match for the World Cup. The game will now be played in Honduras, instead of in Belize as originally scheduled. FIFA, the world body governing football today lifted the suspension of the Football Federation of Belize which was imposed on June 17. A statement issued by the FIFA Emergency Committee notes that the lifting of the suspension was because of “some positive developments in the case as reported by the FFB to FIFA.”
The government-controlled Belize National Sports Council has decertified the FFB in an effort to install a state-sanctioned association and have it be admitted to FIFA to replace the Football Federation of Belize. The FIFA statement says that “..this return match will now be played before July 17, 2011 outside Belize in order to avoid the risk of the Belizean authorities not providing security guarantees, as was the case for the game originally scheduled for June 19, 2011.” The statement ends by saying that: “..the Emergency Committee has decided that, should the FFB not be able to definitively settle the issues at stake with the authorities by 15 August 2011, then the suspension of the FFB would be automatically reinstated.”
A clearly frustrated Government of Belize this evening issued a press release that is being taken as further interference in Belize football. It is calling “..our sister nation Honduras, to respect our national sovereignty..” in what is being interpreted as a move to not have Honduras host the Belize Montserrat game.
In the meantime the Football Federation Of Belize has once again filed a claim in the Belize Supreme Court to try and end government interference in its internal affairs. This action is scheduled to be heard on Friday, July 8 at 2 p.m.
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