Fifa maintains suspensions on Kenya and Iran

ZURICH: Fifa's executive committee today confirmed that Kenya and Iran were both still suspended from international soccer, although Iran's under-23 team are being allowed to compete in the Asian Games.

Kenyan officials had hoped soccer's world governing body would lift their suspension, but the executive committee maintained it for the time being.

"There is still too much confusion in Kenya, which makes lifting of the sanctions inappropriate," said Jerome Champagne, the Fifa president's delegate on special affairs.

Iran has been given until next Tuesday to sort out the problems concerning the running of its football association.

Failure to so would result in the suspension staying in force, Fifa said.

Fifa is also looking at issues in Poland, Albania and Togo and ruled that Gibraltar, which is applying for membership of European body Uefa, did not meet the statutory requirements to become a member of Fifa.

Kenya was indefinitely suspended from all international competitions on October 24 for failing to honour agreements and for the chaos in the east African nation's troubled federation.

Fifa suspended Iran, who won the Asian Games title in 1974, 1990, 1998 and 2002, from all international competition on November 23 because of what it cited as government interference in the sport.

Fifa has allowed Iran's under-23 team to compete in this month's Asian Games in Doha, but no other international soccer activity has been sanctioned.