TEHRAN, Nov. 26 (Mehr News Agency) - The world's football governing body FIFA Sunday lifted the ban on Iran.

On Nov. 22, the FIFA Emergency Committee, composed of the FIFA president and one representative of each of the six confederations, decided to suspend the IRIFF from all international activities due to government's interference in football matters and violation of Article 17 of the FIFA Statutes.

The Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation (IRIFF), however, convinced FIFA to remove the ban and allow the country's Under-23 side to compete at the 2006 Asian Games that will start in the Qatari capital Doha on Dec. 1.

The committee took this decision after determining that the IRIFF was not adhering to the principles of the FIFA Statutes regarding the independence of member associations, the independence of the decision-making process of the football governing body in each country, and the way in which changes in the leadership of associations are brought about.

The Iranian federation had vowed to settle the problem through negotiations.

... Payvand News - 11/26/06 ... --