FIFA delegation to arrive in Afghanistan soon

KABUL for assessing the game’s situation, officials said Saturday.

A meeting attended by heads of football federations from 22 provinces was told that the FIFA delegation would visit Afghanistan at their request to investigate problems in Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF).

Amanullah Faizi, head of football federation for northwestern Jawzjan province, said they had sent letters to FIFA about problems in AFF.

“After repeated emails of complaints to FIFA, the organization finally responded on July 4 and pledged to investigate problems in AFF and find a solution,” he said.

Faizi said the current AFF head whose working term had completed about a year ago should pave the ground for transparent election of his successor.

He accused the football federation of highhandedness and said the body head had arbitrary removed and replaced federation heads in some provinces.

Hayatullah Logarwal, head of Kabul football federation, said they had also shared their problems with the government and other relevant organs, but to no avail.

“No one listened to our problems, so we complained to FIFA, fortunately our problems were heard by the organization that promised to send a delegation and find a solution,” he said.

Provincial football federation officials shared a copy of the email they received from FIFA with the media, in which FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura said they had received letters about problems in AFF.

She said they discussed the problem in a meeting on July 4 and decided to send a delegation to Kabul soon to help resolve the problems in AFF.

AFF spokesman Sayed Ali Kazimi rejected allegations against the federation and said the body was ready for transparent and impartial election. He said the election was delayed due to interferences form parliament members.

About removal and replacement of provincial AFF heads, he said, “Provincial football federation heads are removed or replaced by provincial football clubs.”

Kazimi welcomed the FIFA delegation’s visit to Afghanistan for resolving problems in AFF.

mds/ma