ZURICH: FIFA has suspended the Kuwait Football Association (KFA) after a deadline for changing a government sports law was not met, the world football body said yesterday. "The suspension will be lifted only when the KFA and its members (the clubs) are able to carry out their activities and obligations independently," FIFA said in a statement. FIFA's executive committee in September had given Kuwait until Oct 15 to make changes to the country's sports law.

Kuwaiti teams and clubs are banned from international competition, and the association and its members are barred from receiving any FIFA development assistance. Kuwait is currently second behind South Korea in Group G of Asian qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. Its next scheduled qualifying match is against Myanmar on Nov 17. Last Monday, the IOC gave Kuwait a deadline of Oct 27 to resolve the sports law issue or face suspension from the Olympic body. - Agencies