Republic of Ireland will need to turn around a 1-0 first-leg defeat in Wednesday’s second encounter against France if they want to make the 2010 World Cup Finals. Get all the BestPrice betting here.

Fifa has threatened Iraq with exile from world football after the Iraqi Olympic committee took control of and disbanded the country’s football association (IFA).

Football’s governing body called the move “incomprehensible” and said it was “in total contradiction with IFA and Fifa statutes”.

Iraq has been given 72 hours to restore the IFA or the case will be referred to Fifa’s Emergency Committee.

Such a move would likely see the Asian Cup holders banned from the sport.

Iraq’s Olympic committee and the IFA have had a long-running dispute over who controls the game in the country.

The IFA has refused a demand from the Olympic committee to elect a new board.

“Fifa appeals once more to all stakeholders in Iraq to respect the autonomy of sport in general and the IFA in particular and to allow IFA to conduct its affairs according its statutes and those of Fifa,” said a Fifa statement.

Republic of Ireland will need to turn around a 1-0 first-leg defeat in Wednesday’s second encounter against France if they want to make the 2010 World Cup Finals. Get all the BestPrice betting here.

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