Mauritius could be excluded from FIFA and the Liverpool FC Academy may be forced to close if the country does not comply with international regulations within the next few days.
“It’s a real bombshell that has just sounded in the world of football in Mauritius, with unexpected international resonance,” several media reported after the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Leisure (MYESL) unilaterally dissolved the Board of the Mauritius Football Association (MFA).
In short, the MFA would disappear and Mauritian football would indirectly depend on the government.
Minister Stephane Toussaint was cited by l’Express as claiming that the overall management of the sport has been entrusted to a temporary committee.
This interference of politics in the management of clubs has been denounced by FIFA.
The Ministry of Sports in Mauritius has been warned to reverse its decision to appoint a temporary committee before March 16, 2023 and allow the board to resume control of the MFA.
Else, the matter will be referred to the FIFA. If it does not comply with their regulations, Mauritius could be excluded from all its activities, Défi Media reported.
Furthermore, an investigation is expected to verify the age of the players recruited by the Liverpool FC International Academy created in 2019. Mauritius had injected Rs108 million into the project.
If FIFA were to find that rules were breached in the recruitment of minors, it could also take disciplinary measures – and even order the closure of the academy.
Sources: Defi Media, l’Express
