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ZURICH. — Fifa have appointed a normalisation committee to take charge of Guinea’s Football Federation (FGF). The West Africans could be thrown out of the 2017 Nations Cup qualifiers if the wrangles persist. The problems have affected Guinea’s campaign to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament. They are third in their group behind Zimbabwe and Swaziland, with only the winners guaranteed a place at the finals in Gabon.

Football’s world governing body acted following the “internal wrangles affecting the FGF that have halted all football competitions in Guinea”. The committee members will be selected by Fifa and the Confederation of African Football.

The committee will be in charge of running the daily affairs of the FGF, to revise the statutes and to organise elections accordingly by February 28, 2017 at the latest. The problems have affected Guinea’s campaign to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

They are third in their group behind Zimbabwe and Swaziland, with only the winners guaranteed a place at the finals in Gabon. Placed 58th in the FIFA rankings, Guinea have never qualified for a World Cup but are regular participants at the African Nations Cup and will host the continental tournament for the first time in 2023.

The football associations of Guatemala, Honduras, Benin and Maldives are also currently being run by FIFA-appointed committees. FIFA generally steps in when serious issues within national FAs, including internal disputes, undermine the administration of the sport in the country concerned. — BBC.