FIFA kicks Ethiopia out of World Cup

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND (TICKER) —Ethiopia has been thrown out of the qualifying competition for the 2010 World Cup immediately, FIFA announced on Friday.

The world football’s governing body took the step after a long-running disagreement over the leadership of the Ethiopian Football Federation.

FIFA originally suspended the country’s football federation on July 29 after it failed to act on agreed steps to resolve problems with the body’s leadership.

“The Bureau of the Organizing Committee for the FIFA World Cup has decided to exclude the Ethiopian Football Federation from the preliminary competition with immediate effect,” a FIFA statement said.

“All four matches played by Ethiopia to date in African zone Group Eight, as well as the results of these matches, are now canceled. This group now comprises three teams: Morocco, Mauritania and Rwanda.”

Ethiopia had stood third on the table, ahead of just Mauritania, prior to having its qualifier with Morocco last Sunday suspended.