Printer-friendly VersionThe Kurdish Globe
The Asia Football Confederation (AFC) barred the Iraqi Newroz club from participating in the 2010 AFC Futsal Club Championship in Isfahan, Iran. The decision was announced after the AFC finalized scheduled matches and Iraq's soccer issues with FIFA remained outstanding. The tournament begins March 4 and continues for eight days at the Pirouzi Stadium in Isfahan.
Hadi Kareem, Newroz club secretary, revealed that the club administration plans to file a complaint with the Kurdistan and Iraqi Football federations, and the Asian Football Federation.
First in the Iraqi league last year, the Newroz Futsal Club is banned from competing in the championship under a FIFA decision that suspends all of Iraq's football participation in outside meets. FIFA's sanction follows a controversial dissolution of the Iraqi football federation due to political interference.
"We signed three Iraqi national team players and opened a training camp in Iran in preparing for the championship, costing us a lot," complained Kareem.
The sanction covers other Iraqi teams including the football league champ Erbil Club as well as the Najaf Club, which were supposed to take part in the Asian championship. Locally, activities are taking place regularly.
Without the Newroz Club, nine other teams have qualified for the Isfahan futsal competition. They are divided into two groups of five. The top two in each group advance to the semifinals.
Group A is Foolad Mahan Sepahah from Iran, Japan's Nagoya Oceans, Uzbek's Stroitel Zarafshan, AUB Altyn Tash Bishkek from Kyrgyzstan, and Iraq's Newroz.
In Group B, the clubs include Port Authority from Thailand, Wuhan Dilong from China, New South Wales Thunder from Australia, Lebanon's Pro's Café, and Al Sadd from Qatar.