T&T's participation at the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers next year will rest heavily on the shoulders of the T&T Football Association (TTFA) being led by its elected president William Wallace, who FIFA removed from office on March 17.
Following the suspension by FIFA on September 24 for violation of the FIFA Statutes, the TTFA realistically can still enable T&T to participate at the qualifiers which begin in March if the TTFA abide by the conditions of the suspension, which means bringing the TTFA Statutes in line with that of the FIFA and dropping all court-related battles with the FIFA before December 18.
Following the suspension, Wallace responded by instructing his Attorneys to challenge the suspension of the FIFA through the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland and filing an Injunctive Relief at the CAS which would ensure that the country is allowed to participate at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. However, the Concacaf had made a concession for T&T participation in the Gold Cub which took place four days after the ban but with the condition that the country honours FIFA requests by the deadline of December 18.
However, Wallace, who was infuriated by the suspension, also ordered his attorneys to resume the court battle with the FIFA over the legitimacy of the appointment of a normalisation committee to replace them (TTFA) as the managers of football in T&T. His decision was also contrary to the vote taken by the general membership in an unofficial meeting on September 22.
on Tuesday, FIFA General Secretary Fatma Samoura, in a letter to Normalisation Committee chairman Robert Hadad, reminded him of the suspension and the possibility of missing the CONCACAF Qualifiers if the suspension is not lifted, saying: "By way of this communication, we inform you that FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 World Cup Qualifiers for the Concacaf region (hereinafter: Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers) are scheduled to begin in March 2021. The organisation of such competition entails complex logistical and operational matters intensified by the COVID-19 crisis. In view of this, please note that FIFA has decided that, in order to ensure the proper preparation and planning of the participant teams, if the suspension imposed on the TTFA is not lifted by 18:00 CET (6:00 pm TT TIme) on 18 December 2020, we have no choice but to exclude the TTFA from participating in the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers."
The deadline is similar to the one given on September 18 in which the TTFA had until 3:00 pm TT Time on September 23 to withdraw its court matter in the T&T High court against FIFA or be suspended.
Guardian Media Sports efforts to contact Wallace yesterday for a response proved futile, but he had made it clear in a release recently that his group will only drop their matter against the FIFA if the local court rules against them on Friday and if the court rules in their favour, his group the United TTFA, will call an Emergency General Meeting among the membership to decide on how they move forward.
Samoura assured also that FIFA will only communicate and recognise the normalisation committee: "As a result of the suspension of the TTFA's membership of FIFA, the Normalisation Committee which was appointed by FIFA has necessarily ceased all operational and management functions over the TTFA. However, we want to highlight that the only legitimate leadership of the TTFA, recognised by FIFA and Concacaf, is the one led by Mr Robert Hadad. Having said this any communication from FIFA with TTFA will continue to be exclusively being with Mr Robert Hadad. We thank you for your attention to the above."
RELATED NEWS
FIFA raises stakes on Trinidad and Tobago.
By Joel Bailey (Newsday).
FIFA has raised the stakes on the TT Football Association (TTFA), via a World Cup warning, with regards to its suspension of the local governing body on September 24.
FIFA suspended the TTFA two weeks ago for grave violation of FIFA Statutes. The former TTFA executive, led by William Wallace, missed the September 23 deadline to withdraw its legal challenge to FIFA, over the world governing body’s decision to remove the TTFA hierarchy in March, over mounting debts and install a normalisation committee, led by Robert Hadad.
The global governing body has insisted that they want the case to be heard at the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) but the TTFA want the TT High Court to determine the matter.
FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura issued a letter, via e-mail, to Hadad on Tuesday, stating that the 2022 FIFA World Cup Concacaf Zone Qualifiers are set to begin in March 2021. “The organisation of such competition entails complex logistical and operational matters intensified by the covid19 crisis,” Samoura wrote. “In view of this, FIFA has decided that, in order to ensure that proper preparation and planning of the participant teams, if the suspension imposed on the TTFA is not lifted by 6 pm Central European Time (noon TT time) on December 18, we have no choice to exclude the TTFA from participating in the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers.”
If the suspension is not lifted by December 18, T&T will be replaced by Antigua/Barbuda at the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup qualifiers.
The normalisation committee “has necessarily ceased all operational and management functions over the TTFA” due to FIFA’s suspension of the TTFA membership.
But FIFA insisted “the only legitimate leadership of the TTFA, recognised by FIFA and Concacaf, is the one led by Hadad.”
Wallace is hopeful this issue can move a step closer to a resolution by Friday when High Court judge Carol Gobin is expected to rule on the matter involving the ousted TTFA executive (Wallace and his deputies Clynt Taylor and Joseph Sam Phillip) and FIFA’s Bureau Council, who replaced them with the normalisation committee.
“I think all of this will be over by Friday,” said Wallace. “Hopefully, by Friday, everything should be settled.”
Asked to elaborate, Wallace replied, “Everything that we have done, we have done in the interest of T&T football, contrary to what other people think. I think settling in a positive way.”
A week ago, Hadad insisted that he was not “in charge” of T&T football, but FIFA’s letter on Tuesday stated otherwise. Wallace said, “That is something that Hadad needs to clear up, with regards to (him) saying that he’s not in charge and FIFA saying that he’s in charge.”
Also calling for good sense to prevail in this ongoing saga was T&T men’s coach Terry Fenwick.
“It’s going on longer than anticipated, longer than necessary, in my opinion,” said Fenwick. “I want to get my backroom staff together. I need to be working on the ground and ensure we’ve got the best squad available for the competitive games coming up.
“We recognise that there is a ten-day FIFA window right now and we’re not doing anything. I need to be out on the ground with my players. At the moment, football has taken a back seat, it’s just politics here in (T&T).”
Another problem afflicting T&T football is the covid19 restrictions which have prevented contact sports from taking place.
“Covid19 actually is not helping,” said Fenwick. “There is football all over the world. I’m seeing every league all over the world playing games and we’re not. So that’s a concern, the players (and) youngsters on the ground are not playing football at any level. That is actually because of the politicking that is going on behind the scenes.”
He added, “We’re falling well-behind, even within teams in (the) Caribbean that have got development programmes up and running.”
Concerning Friday’s court matter between the TTFA and the FIFA Bureau Council, Fenwick noted, “We’ve heard those same things before and it hasn’t happened, and the fight continues.
“I would have hoped that we could have had discussions from the top people to see where they can move things forward, whether there could be indeed a collaboration, so we’re helping each other to resolve this situation. The only thing it’s damaging is the youngsters on the ground.”
Hadad, via a Whatsapp message on Tuesday, was asked to comment on the letter, as well as FIFA’s confirmation that he was the legitimate leader of T&T football. The normalisation committee head did not respond up to press time.
This story was originally published with the title "FIFA issues World Cup warning to TTFA" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.
FIFA has issued a World Cup warning to the TT Football Association (TTFA), with regards to its suspension of the local governing body on September 24.
FIFA suspended the TTFA two weeks ago for grave violation of FIFA Statutes. The former TTFA executive, led by William Wallace, missed the September 23 deadline to withdraw its legal challenge to FIFA, over FIFA’s decision to remove the TTFA hierarchy, over mounting debts, and install a normalisation committee, led by Robert Hadad.
FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura issued a letter, via e-mail, to Hadad on Tuesday, stating that the 2022 FIFA World Cup Concacaf Zone Qualifiers are set to begin in March 2021.
“The organisation of such competition entails complex logistical and operational matters intensified by the covid19 crisis,” Samoura wrote. “In view of this, FIFA has decided that, in order to ensure that proper preparation and planning of the participant teams, if the suspension imposed on the TTFA is not lifted by 6 pm Central European Time (noon TT time) on December 18, we have no choice to exclude the TTFA from participating in the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers.”
If the suspension is not lifted by December 18, T&T will be replaced by Antigua/Barbuda at the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup qualifiers.
The normalisation committee “has necessarily ceased all operational and management functions over the TTFA” due to FIFA’s suspension of the TTFA membership.
But FIFA insisted “the only legitimate leadership of the TTFA, recognised by FIFA and Concacaf, is the one led by Hadad.”
FIFA issues reminder unless ban is lifted Gold Cup, World Cup out.
By Ian Prescott (Express).
FUNDING HALTED
FIFA FUNDING, which allows TTFA administrative staff and national coaches to be paid, has officially ceased.
This comes on the heels of a September 24 decision by FIFA’s Bureau of the Council to suspend the financially-burdened Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) due to grave violations of the FIFA Statutes.
This was declared yesterday by FIFA general secretary Fatma Samoura, who announced that Trinidad and Tobago will also soon be barred from participating in international competitions unless the conditions set by FIFA, for lifting an international suspension from football, are met.
“As a result of the suspension of the TTFA’s membership of FIFA, the normalisation committee which was appointed by FIFA has necessarily ceased all operational and management functions over the TTFA,” Samoura informed via email, yesterday.
“However, we want to highlight that the only legitimate leadership of the TTFA, recognised by FIFA and CONCACAF, is the one led by Mr. Robert Hadad. Having said this any communication from FIFA with TTFA will continue to be exclusively being with Mr Robert Hadad.”
Samoura added that unless the TTFA moves swiftly to have the suspension removed there be no 2020 CONCACAF Gold Cup or Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers for Trinidad and Tobago.
“FIFA has decided that, in order to ensure the proper preparation and planning of the participant teams, if the suspension imposed on the TTFA is not lifted by 18:00 CET on 18 December 2020, we have no choice but to exclude the TTFA from participating in the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers,” Samoura informed through communication with local normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad.
In suspending T&T from international football on September 24, FIFA, and subsequently regional body CONCACAF, left the door open for T&T to participate in the two important competitions, providing two conditions were met.
“This suspension will only be lifted when the TTFA fully complies with its obligations as a member of FIFA, including recognising the legitimacy of the appointed normalisation committee and bringing its own statutes into line with the FIFA Statutes,” the world body stated.
And yesterday, Samoura reinforced that participation in the Qatar 2022 World Cup campaign is at risk as well.
“By way of this communication, we inform you that FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 World Cup Qualifiers for the CONCACAF region (hereinafter: CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers) are scheduled to begin in March 2021. The organisation of such competition entails complex logistical and operational matters intensified by the Covid-19 crisis,” Samoura noted.
Samoura’s notice comes two days before the local High Court rules on a claim brought in which United TTFA president Wallace and his vice-presidents are challenging their removal from office by FIFA and replacing them with its own normalisation committee, chaired by Hadad.
FIFA subsequently suspended T&T from football on September 24, a day after United TTFA were late in meeting a FIFA deadline to withdraw the matter from the T&T High Court. Bowing to a vote by the majority of TTFA members, Wallace and United TTFA initially opted to remove the matter from the court on September 23, but effectively returned to court a day later, when withdrawing its earlier withdrawal notice.
TTFA Board member Brent Sancho, a former T&T World Cup defender and Central FC club owner, is among those chastising Wallace’s decision to return to court in defiance of the wishes of the TTFA majority.
“While the rest of the world is vigorously focusing on how to jump-start football, two individuals are single-handedly managing to destroy what is left of the sport in Trinidad and Tobago,” said Sancho, a former Sport Minister.
He added: “FIFA’s patience is currently being tested, as discussions of expulsion of the TTFA have apparently been already started and could be implemented at any time. Let’s hope that Look Loy and Wallace realise how primarily our players are being harmed and how their dreams are being taken away from them.”