The world and Asian football governing bodies have warned the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) of possible sanction, including suspension, over its failure to hold elections.

The FIFA and the AFC in a joint letter to the FFSL secretary Upali Hewage, said that recent media reports clearly indicate a deviation from the electoral roadmap agreed upon following a court order in October 2022. 

In particular, we have taken note the election of a new FFSL executive committee is to take place next January for a four-month term based on the previous version of the FFSL statutes, they said.

The letter recalled that a roadmap of new FFSL statutes has already been agreed upon during a joint FIFA-AFC mission to Sri Lanka.

Led by a director of FIFA’s legal committee, a visiting team from the game’s world governing body held lengthy talks with the minister, National Sports Council president Arjuna Ranatunga and top FFSL officials in September 2022.

It referred the FFSL to its statutory obligation to manage its affairs independently and to ensure that its own affairs are not unduly influenced by any third parties, “even if the third-party influence is not the fault of the member association.”

The FIFA and the AFC asked the FFSL to provide them with an adjusted roadmap in line with the previous mutual understanding by no later than January 03.