India has time till September 15 to elect a new executive committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and avoid an impending international ban.
A seven-member joint delegation from Fifa and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) concluded its visit to India last week. “The Fifa-AFC delegation has given us a strict timeline. It is on us to avoid Fifa ban,” Delhi FA president and former Fifa regional development officer Shaji Prabhakaran said in a tweet.
According to sources, the Fifa-AFC delegation has told the Supreme Court appointed committee of administrators (CoA) to ensure that the redrafted AIFF Constitution is approved latest by July 31 and elections are held by September 15.
“The meetings concluded that the next steps should be the ratification of the AIFF Statutes in line with Fifa/AFC principles of good governance and the holding of an electoral congress to choose the next AIFF leadership,” the visiting team said in a statement. The visiting delegation led by AFC general secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John also met I-League, Indian Super League and FSDL representatives and made it clear that there are no plans to keep the previously-agreed roadmap on hold.
According to the roadmap, this season’s (2022-23) I-League champions will qualify for next season’s ISL. There will be no relegation from the top-tier till 2024-25 when promotion and relegation will come into force and the two parallel league system will be abolished.
