FIFA have warned Ghana they face being referred to its emergency committee if their government does not stop interfering in football matters, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has confirmed.
The GFA confirmed that they have received a letter from the world governing body giving the Ghanaian authorities a deadline of Sunday to “stop their direct intervention and allow GFA to work again”.
The association revealed earlier this week that their headquarters were raided by plain-clothed officers from the country’s Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), who took away nine computers and several documents.
The action has halted all football-related activities in the country with the GFA’s offices closed indefinitely.
A FIFA statement addressed to the GFA posted on www.ghanafa.org read: “Under these circumstances, if the Ghanaian authorities do not stop their direct intervention and allow GFA to work again before Sunday 12 December 2010, we will be obliged to refer the case to the Fifa Emergency Committee.
“This could entail all potential consequences linked to article 13 and article 17 of the Fifa statutes which clearly state that any football association must manage their affairs independently and with no influence by any third parties or face sanctions in case of non-compliance.
“We hope that the Ghanaian authorities will reconsider their actions and thus avoid the deepening of a crisis which will only bring adverse consequences for the football lovers in Ghana.”
