mage credit: Con Chronis

As part of our series for Refugee Week 2019, we speak to Haji Munye, who is head of the Barawa FA, about his life in England, CONIFA, and one day going back to Barawa…

Tell us about Barawa and what it’s like there? What would visitors expect to discover if they went to visit?
At this moment, it’s a difficult time in Barawa, as it is  a semi-occupied by Al-Shabaab, the terrorist organisation and they control a lot of the land around the south-east of Barawa. They have imposed a strict Islamic Sharia law, but the government has also been working hard to try and get them out of there.
In terms of the country itself, though, it’s on the coast and is a beautiful place where the sand and sea are just amazing.

So when did your family and yourself leave Barawa? How did you come to the UK?
When the civil war began in Somalia, I was a little baby at that time. We had to find safety for the family and we escaped from the coast to get a small boat to Mombasa in Kenya. It was an incredibly tough trip as we went on a boat through the night. From there, we stayed with a family member for a short while and then came to England as asylum seekers. We were settled here full time in 1992 and it has been home for us ever since.

Are your family here with you? Or are they still in Barawa?
There are a lot of my family here, and many still back in Barawa, but also we are spread far and wide around the world, with family in America, Australia, Germany and Switzerland.

Does listening to other people talking about Barawa make you want to know more about it?
The family speak a lot about Barawa. My granddad married to an Italian woman who is a historian and she wrote a book about the 800 years of history of the country. I sat down to listen to her and she said it’s the best place she’s been to in the world.
They got married in Mogadishu and she was amazed, and said it was an unbelievable place. Barawa had and still has a real sense of community. The people from Barawa are educated and more forward than other places, and in the past, it was a very liberal place and not as religious, and they enjoyed a strong social life.

What do they miss the most about their homeland?
They mainly miss being there as part of a peaceful, engaged community. You can get straight onto the beach and the scenery is fantastic. They have great links to the Portuguese, Italians and Chinese, so it has a real multicultural feel to it.
I think sometimes people don’t realise how others suffer when they’re taken away from home and taken from their real community. There are a lot of elders in this country who find it tough, because they had to flee their homes and their communities and come here, and they can be afraid of the system and the way things work here.
That said, everyone is grateful to England and how it’s welcomed us into the community here – we’ve been given the opportunity for a good education and employment opportunities and it’s given me a path to my role to be a PE teacher today.

Do you feel as though you’re British or do still retain your heritage now?
For me, when people ask me where I am from, I say I am Barawain, but I guess you could say I am a British-Barawain or Barawain-British!

I love my heritage, although everything I have learned has been in the UK, so it’s allowed me to mix my culture and benefit from both.
I have a lot of British friends and my life is here, but would love to go back home and be a part of the rehabilitation and rebuilding process for the country when the time is right.

Is there a strong Barawa community in the UK?
There are not many of us across the UK, but there are around a million who find themselves in different part of the world. We are a very peaceful people, but the football team has given us a means to make some noise!

What’s your one main dream of the future – your one hope?
I want to host a World Football Cup in Barawa at some point.

What has football helped you achieve outside and inside Barawa?
It has given me something to fall in love with, football has been my everything since I was young. I didn’t have a really good childhood, so my way out was always to play football.
I had a good youth career, and represented England at U16s and so football was a big thing to me. For my family, England has been a saviour to them, and football has given that same hope to me. Football has saved me and now I am a PE teacher because of it.

What has being a member of CONIFA given to the Barawa FA?
It has given us a platform that no one could have thought was possible. We are so grateful for that opportunity.
I have to give great praise to Sascha Düerkop, Kieran Pender and Paul Watson, who have been amazing. They are unbelievable human beings who put others first and stand up for injustice. Without them, we wouldn’t have had as much hope.
CONIFA has given us that opportunity, and we hope that one day we can also find peace in Barawa.

As part of our Refugee Week 2019 series, we chat to Ilyas Mohamed, head of the Somaliland FA, about moving to the UK aged 9, and what he misses most about his homeland…

Q: Tell us about Somaliland, Ilyas. You’ve been back there a lot, setting up your footballing academy and preparing for the CONIFA World Football Cup in 2020. What is it like there?

“Unlike Somalia, its neighbour, many people do not know about Somaliland in the Western world. Western countries associate Somali people with constant wars and man-made disasters or poverty. Some of which is true – but since its formation, Somaliland is anything but that. With Somaliland 2020 we hope to change that by showcasing the beauty of Somaliland to the outside world. Somaliland is a peaceful country filled with happy people. Even though life is Somaliland is difficult and far from perfect, people will always find time to make you feel at home even as a foreign guest or visitor. They will take any opportunity to talk to you with their broken English.

“Somalilanders are natural entertainers. They are tough, resourceful and entrepreneurial people. You will find plenty of banter in all markets and modern shopping malls. Be prepared to haggle!”

Q: And what would visitors expect to discover if they went to Somaliland?

“If you are looking to visit a pristine holiday destination than Somaliland is        not the place for you. The best way to describe Somaliland is a ‘work in              progress’. The potential is endless but it’s caught up in a political limbo which explains its current state. However, Somaliland has a lot of natural beauty to offer to a visitor. It’s unique unlike any other country in the world. The most noticeable feature is how bright the sun and how clear and blue the sky is. Equally impressive are the natural and untouched beaches. Somalilanders love bright colours and every house is brightly decorated specially the old houses, which are interesting to observe as a first-time visitor. Somalilanders truly admire and love their camels. Be prepared to try camel meat…

“You can expect modern hotels in the major cities. The bigger cities are brimming with different types of foods from Ethiopia, Yemen, Syria, Somali and Western influences. There is something for everyone, you just have to go and find it.There’s a thriving telecommunications industry, and the internet is cheap and easily accessible throughout the country. There’s a young population who are savvy users of modern technology and social media.”

Q: So when did your family and yourself leave Somaliland? How did you come to the UK?

“I left Somaliland in 1993 and came to the UK as a nine-year-old via a family reunion.”

Q: Are your family here with you? Or are they still in Somaliland?

“My immediate family are in the UK, but my extended family are all in Somaliland.”

Q: Do you remember much about living there as a child?

I had a wonderful childhood in Somaliland and I loved every moment of it. We had little to nothing but we laughed and played all the time. I had so many friends and I still remember their nicknames even after 25 years. I remember so much from my childhood, the good and the bad. Every time I land in Somaliland, the smell always brings back so many memories. The call of the rooster in the morning. The pancake being prepared in the morning…”

Q: What do you miss from your time there? Is there a specific food or a place…?

“Naturally I miss all my relatives. I get a sense of belonging when I am in Somaliland. Time is so much slower and you can accomplish a lot in day.”

Q: Does the country still have an impact on your life today?

“Somaliland is always on my mind. It is home, it is the place where I was born and where my roots began. I feel obligated to improve the living conditions of the country, no matter how small or insignificant it may appear to be.”

Q: Moving to the UK… how did you find this? Was it easy or hard to settle in?

“As a child you adapt more easily to new environments than adults, so it was okay, not difficult at all. The weather was the main issue. The night we arrived it was snowing, and I recall how ill-prepared we were. The jackets we had on would not keep the cold out. We literally ran into the car freezing having left the airport, and remained indoors for a number of days observing the snow turn into slush from our windows. It was a totally new experience at the time.”

Q: What was the worst issue you had to face moving here? The hardest thing to deal with?

“The food was hard to get used to at first, to me it was very bland and tasteless. It took a while to get used to that!”

Q: Did people help you settle in? Or do you feel like you were on your own?

“I had a lovely bunch of friends at school who helped me to settle in there. Not knowing your neighbors was a strange thing; I found that very strange at first.”

Q: Do you feel as though you’re British or a Somalilander now? Which feels more like home?

“That’s a very tough question. I have a mixture of both cultures in me.”

Q: And which language feels like your ‘natural’ language now – English or Arabic, or…

“Neither of those – it’s definitely Somali. I think in Somali.”

Q: Is there a strong Somaliland community in the UK? Was it welcoming?

“There was a strong Somaliland community at the time and everyone supported each other. As the years go by naturally people become more independent and self reliant so the community ethos is not as strong as it was when I first moved here.”

Q: Would you ever want to move back to Somaliland for good? And how does it feel when you go back – like home?

“Not sure… possibly! It’s a strange feeling. The world changes and moves on. People I knew back in Somaliland either left or passed away so it doesn’t feel like home as much now. It’s not just the place that makes a home, it’s the people and when the people are missing, it takes time to get used to. Since I established the football association I have made genuine friends in Somaliland and that pulls me to one day resettle in Somaliland. I would say at the moment London feels more like home because the people I care most about are here and so that’s home.”

Q: What’s your one main dream of the future – your one hope?

“I want Somaliland to compete internationally in football.”

Q: What has football helped you to achieve outside and inside Somaliland?

“It has taken me strange places that I would never have considered going to. I went to Abkhazia. The country and its people were amazing. I highly recommend it to any traveller. In Somaliland, it has help me create real, genuine friends who I feel honoured to know.”

Q: What has being a member of CONIFA given to the Somaliland FA?

“The opportunity to play the beautiful game with the rest of the CONIFA members. This has become a catalyst for us to chase a bigger goal. To play international football not too far in the future.”

Now the European Football Cup 2019 is at an end, all eyes are turning to next summer’s CONIFA Sportsbet.io World Football Cup, taking place in Somaliland.

To date, CONIFA has 56 members from six continents – but only 16 teams can participate in the World Football Cup. The hosts Somaliland, the holders Karpatalya, and the Wild Card winners Western Sahara have already qualified for the event, all on a so-called ‘Global Ticket’ basis, as their route to qualification was not connected to their continental association.

The remaining 13 berths for the CONIFA Sportsbet.io World Football Cup 2020 are then distributed via continental quotas. Different to other sporting governing bodies, CONIFA calculates the number of continental berths for each continent based on the percentage of members originating from the respective continental zone.

South America:

Currently Mapuche is the only South American member of CONIFA. As every continental zone gets at least one entry to the World Football Cup, this team has automatically qualified for the WFC 2020. As the team have confirmed their interest in participating, Mapuche will take part in their first ever CONIFA adventure next summer!

North America and Oceania:

Both the North American and Oceanian zones will have the chance to send one representative each to Somaliland in the summer of 2020. In both cases, several CONIFA members from the respective regions have confirmed their interest in participating, so the entries won’t be known before October 2019, when the qualification phase comes to an end.

Asia:

A total of 11 CONIFA FAs, or 19.6% of all the association’s members, originate from Asia. This means the zone can send a total of three teams to the World Football Cup 2020. As an incredible eight teams have confirmed their interest and shown confidence that they can compete in the tournament, the teams playing in Africa won’t be known before the end of the qualification period in early October.

Europe:

A total of four European teams will be able to enter the competition to be crowned World Football Champion next summer in Somaliland, in addition to the already qualified Karpatalya team. As the reigning European Football Cup holder, the Caucasian nation of South Ossetia is the first team to receive a ticket for 2020’s tournament. The remaining three continental tickets will be announced in early October, when the qualification period is closed.

Africa:

For the first time in the history of football outside of FIFA, the African continent will host a major international tournament. After the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa, it is only the second global football competition on the continent – and the largest ever held in East Africa.

With Somaliland and Western Sahara already holding a global ticket each to enter the event, there are three more teams that will be able to join them. As only three teams from Africa declared their interest to play in the event within the given deadline, we are proud to announce that Darfur will make their return to a CONIFA tournament, after a long break since 2014, where they inspired fans and opponents alike in Östersund, Sweden, at CONIFA’s first World Football Cup.

Likewise, Kabylia and Matabeleland have qualified as well, and will both play in their second World Football Cup in a row, after bringing some of the largest crowds to the last global event CONIFA held in London.

We are extremely pleased to have such a strong African competition at the first ever African non-FIFA football event, and cannot wait to meet everyone in Hargeisa to celebrate the beautiful game together!

Image credit: David Ghahramanya

We pick out 3 of the finest players from the CONIFA Sportbet.io European Football Cup 2019 final!

No7 – Batradz Gurtsiev – One of the top scorers going into the game, Gurtsiev caused problems down the wing for his Western Armenian counterparts. The forward had scored five goals throughout the tournament before coming into the final and his presence was notable in the first half.

Though his distribution was poor from set-pieces and crosses, the winger’s trickery was the making of most of South Ossetia’s chances. His off-the-ball movement was also an asset to South Ossetia, working space for his attacking teammates throughout the afternoon

No77 – Ibrahim Bazaev – A comfortable performance on the whole as the lone striker, but it was the forward’s brilliance which separated the sides in Stepanakert to give South Ossetia the trophy.

With both sides unable to break the deadlock half an hour from time, it was Bazaev’s individual brilliance that opened the scoring with a delightful freekick from 30 yards, which sailed into the top corner. This spectacular strike decided the game and saw South Ossetia crowned CONIFA Sportsbet.io European Football Cup champions.

71 – Muhaberg Buzaev – The hero of the final. At 1-0 up in the final seconds of stoppage time, Western Armenia were awarded a penalty in a dramatic end to the CONIFA Sportsbet.io European Football Cup final.

Buzaev, however, had different ideas. Diving low outstretched to his right, he palmed the penalty away as the final whistle blew, to spark wild celebrations in Stepanakert. In an exciting game to conclude the championship in Artsakh, the goalkeeper will be remembered as the hero of the tournament.

Author: Olaf Jensen; Image credit: David Ghahramanya

A cagey conclusion to the CONIFA Sportsbet.io European Football Cup 2019 final was brought alive by two moments of high drama that saw South Ossetia emerge as champions.

The final – perhaps predictably, but certainly disappointingly – began much as any other final does, cagey, lacking tempo and purpose.

It took South Ossetia’s Gurtsiev, one of the tournament’s standout players, to make the first breakthrough, cutting inside to force a save from Kasparov. His was a ubiquitous presence on the Ossetian right flank, menacing the Western Armenian goalkeeper more than once.

Western Armenia were sloppy on the ball, and too often stifled their own counterattacks by losing possession in the final third. The Ossetian keeper was tested by a low, long-range shot from outside the box by Yedigaryan, and Hovsepyan was nearly allowed to slip through unmarked, but they were denied by to the resolute South Ossetian defence – including Kaitov, whose head was still bandaged from an injury earlier in the tournament.

This sloppiness nearly cost them – three Western Armenian players received yellow cards in the first half, and it took a desperate goalmouth scramble to deny South Ossetia a goal late on.

Western Armenia started the second half with renewed energy and confidence, but the South Ossetian defence remained too well-disciplined.

South Ossetia, meanwhile, built slowly and purposefully, demonstrating a greater depth of skill than their more solid Western Armenian counterparts.

But they ultimately had their best chances from fast-paced counterattacks, firstly through a glancing Bazaev header, and then as the same player was brought down by Guzel deep in the Western Armenian half.

It was from the ensuing free kick that Bazaev netted the game’s only goal, firing past the outstretched Kasparov – but not without some measure of confusion, as the Western Armenian players swarmed the referee to protest the goal. South Ossetia took the lead.

Western Armenia attacked desperately, piling on enormous amounts of pressure, with captain Yedigaryan spraying the ball out wide to the substitute Hovhannisyan, who created plenty of chances through high balls whipped into the South Ossetian box.

Despite plenty of possession, Western Armenia’s poor first touch and sloppy passing meant they struggled to capitalise on it.

But they nearly had their chance. Brought down by a uncharacteristically shabby South Ossetian defending, Davoyan had the chance to equalise from the spot. His weak penalty effort was nudged out by goalkeeper Buraev.

It was to be the last touch of the game. The outcome was in no doubt. South Ossetia are the CONIFA Sportsbet.io European Football Cup Champions.

Image credit: Karo Sahakyan

Sapmi secured 7^th place in the CONIFA Sportsbet.io European Football Cup with a 3-2 victory over Szekely Land, their first win of the competition.

Two teams who have endured disappointing campaigns brought them to a close at the Askeran City Stadium with an entertaining game. Despite failing to register a win in the group stages, both sides have contributed to some brilliant matches in Artsakh, which will live long in the memory.

The early exchanges were uneventful, but Sapmi grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck after 17 minutes, as Benjamin Zahrisson found space in the box and fired in low at the keeper’s near post. They got another moments later when Samuli Latila raced onto a loose ball after the Szekely Land defence had failed to clear.

Sapmi were in pole position, but an agonising goalkeeping error brought Szekely Land back into the match. Norbert Lazar’s dangerous free kick delivery was flicked on by Rajmond Balint, and Anton Sarri couldn’t hold on as it rolled over the line.

The pressure continued to come from Szekely Land, and the chance for the equaliser arose when Bojond Kovacs was brought down in the corner of the box. Akos Kovacs showed held his nerve from 12 yards as he slotted past Sarri into the bottom right corner.

A key turning point came on the hour mark, as Szekely Land’s Ghinea Hunor was shown a red card for a second bookable offence. Szekely still posed a threat going forward though, with Norbert Benko-Biro blasting a shot off the underside of the crossbar.

Sapmi were able to find more space going forward, and eventually found the winning goal. A corner was pulled back to Latila, whose shot was deflected in for his second of the game. They had to weather the storm of a late green card for Mika Holmen Haetta, and after a Barna Vekas strike which Sarri had to tip over, they just about held on to secure 7^th place.

Image credit: Gevorg Ghazaryan

The CONIFA Sportsbet.io European Football Cup 2019 has been a festival of culture as well as football. Every day in the host cities there have been events taking place, including large concerts in Stepanakert in the evenings.

Organisers also took advantage of the two rest days to show off the best of Artsakh to those who have travelled out to watch and report on the tournament.

On Wednesday 5 June, teams, referees, volunteers, press and the CONIFA Executive Committee travelled to Shushi, the cultural capital of Artsakh. The day trip began with a visit to the State Museum of Fine Arts, Sculpture Grove, and the Money Museum.

After soaking up some art and history, the trip made its way to the spectacular Canyon of Hunot, offering breathtaking vistas and plenty of photo opportunities for the participants.

For lunch, an enormous picnic of Artsakh delicacies was laid on in a park on the outskirts of Shushi. Players, press and Artsakhians alike danced to folk music – fuelled by plenty of local wine.

Journalists had the chance to interview Grigori Martirosyan, State Minister of the Republic of Artsakh, and Narine Aghabalyan, Minister of Education, Science and Sport, who also led toasts with the picnic guests.

The evening offered the chance for some slightly more relaxed football at the Stepanakert stadium, with the now-legendary CONIFA vs Media game, in which the Media ran out winners in a penalty shoot-out after an entertaining 4-4 draw.

The press were treated to another rest day on Friday 7 June, with volunteers taking many of the visiting press around some of the most important historical sites in the country.

The day began with a quick look around Stepanakert’s open-air market, and trying some zhengyalov hats –the herby bread that can be found everywhere in Artsakh. The press then proceeded to Gandzasar, a 10^th-century hilltop monastery, offering amazing panoramas around the region.

A bumpy minibus ride followed, culminating in Tigranakert. Here, they looked around the 18^th-century castle hosting an exhibition on this ruined, pre-Christian city built by Tigran the Great, as well as the excavation site itself.

All participants enjoyed the opportunity to get to know the country, which has hosted a fantastic tournament.

Author: Olaf Jensen; Image credit: Brad Merrett

Abkhazia beat Chameria on penalties in an often bad-tempered third-place playoff in Stepanakert, during which the beautiful game was not much in evidence.

Chameria, who often rely on the talents of the enormous striker Marko van Basten Çema, had much of their passing game nullified by the strong Abkhazian midfield; despite a few penetrating runs, Chameria’s nifty number 10, Gjoka, was prevented from slicing balls over through to Çema.

Abkhazia saw most of the early action, forcing the Chameria keeper into lightning-fast saves on several occasions – but proving vulnerable on the break to the quick Chamerian attackers.

After around 20 minutes, Çema – a fast, defence-splitting presence – lofted a near ball over to Gjeci, who was marginally too slow to reach it, almost completing a perfect counter.

And this momentum sapped Abkhazia’s discipline – a slew of sloppy, foul-tempered tackles earned them two yellow cards within two minutes. Indeed, the half ended with the two teams openly fighting – adding more names to the referee’s book.

Abkhazia brought on Maskaev at half time to bolster their attacking threat. He made an instant impact, adding a fresh dynamism to the pitch, and claiming one of the game’s best chances when he cut inside and fired straight at the keeper.

But the conflict resumed after an hour passed. A high kick to the back of an Abkhazian player saw Zaimi sent off, while Baholli – himself a substitute – was replaced via a green card.

Down to 10 men and their game plan in tatters, Chameria became increasingly reckless, but paradoxically gained a new vibrancy through the fast-paced winger Hasa, who repeatedly combined well with Marko van Basten Çema and Gjoka.

Their counterattacking skill – which nearly resulted in a goal after a perfect cross by Hasa to Çema was tipped over by the keeper – was not enough, and the more numerous Abkhazians took control of the game.

With penalties looming, both teams looked increasingly sloppy, barely keeping hold of possession; Abkhazia were unable to make the most of their advantage.

So third-place would be decided by penalties. Both teams were level until Çema missed his attempt, allowing captain Khugaev the platform to score slot his past the keeper, and secure the bronze medal for Abkhazia.

South Ossetia progressed to the CONIFA Sportsbet.io European Football Cup final after a nail-biting 6-5 penalty shoot-out win over Chameria. Sunday’s game will be their first ever final in a CONIFA tournament.

Askeran City Stadium played host to an intriguing semi-final between two teams who most would not have tipped to progress beyond the group stages. South Ossetia and Chameria came into the tournament as unknown quantities, but have entertained crowds in Artsakh with some scintillating football.

The first half was not pretty, with plenty of niggly fouls breaking up the play and preventing either side from getting into any real passing rhythm. There were plenty of speculative shots from distance, but nothing that caused the goalkeepers too much concern.

One of Chameria’s star men this tournament, striker Marko van Basten Cema, was convinced he had won a penalty, but was ruled to have been in an offside position by the referee’s assistant. His opposite number, South Ossetian forward Ibragim Bazaev, whistled a shot just over the crossbar.

A flurry of late first-half chances gave both sides cause for optimism, including a great run and shot from South Ossetian star man Batradz Gurtsiev, and a rapid Chameria counter-attack which Cema couldn’t capitalise on.

The teams reverted to the first-half malaise after the break. Bazaev’s decision to shoot from a free kick awarded in the centre circle was symbolic of a lack of creativity, which could be perhaps be forgiven after their gruelling group campaigns this week. The ever-present striker almost managed to divert home a huge punt downfield by his keeper Muharbeg Buraev.

Cema’s strike partner Samet Gjoka shot just wide after a neat turn, whilst Dzhambolat Hastayev shot just over for South Ossetia in stoppage time, but the match went to penalties, which had seemed inevitable.

The penalty shoot-out was one of the highest quality, with 11 of the 14 kicks giving the keeper no chance whatsoever. A ‘panenka’ from Cema when he had to score to keep Chameria in it was audacious in the extreme. His teammate Boci Xhorxhian had his attempt saved by Buraev however, who dived low to his right, to spark wild celebrations for the South Ossetians.

Image credit: Mark Parsons

Whilst the CONIFA Sportsbet.io European Football Cup 2019 was getting into full swing in Artsakh over the weekend, three more of our member FAs were in match action in Yorkshire.

A draw or better will see Yorkshire take the silverware.

Image credit: Gevorg Ghazaryan

CONIFA would like to express its gratitude to all match officials taking part in the CONIFA Sportsbet.io European Football Cup 2019. Today’s officials are:

Match: Sapmi – Abkhazia

Referee team: Kurdistan
Referee: Sabah Raza
Linesman 1: Diyar Zawetae
Linesman 2: Ahmed Albarzanji
4th Official: Twana Osman

Match: South Ossetia – Padania

Referee team: Donetsk
Referee: Dmitrii Zhukov
Linesman 1: Vitalii Mazin
Linesman 2: Valerii Kravchenko
4th Official: Aleksandr Demenko

Match: Chameria – Artsakh

Referee team: CoF1
Referee: Dennis Karwatzki
Linesman 1: Julian Schilling
Linesman 2: André Ahnert
4th Official: Ivan Mrkalj

Match: Szekely Land – Western Armenia
Referee team: L. Artsakh
Referee: Arkadi Akobyan
Linesman 1: Petros Karapetyan
Linesman 2: Sedrak Akobyan
4th Official: René Jacobi

CONIFA would like to thank all referees taking part in the CONIFA Sportsbet.io European Football Cup 2019. They are:

Kurdistan

Ahmed Sabah Radha Ahmed

Albarazanchi Ahmed Jalal Ibrahim

Almizori Diyar Abduljabar Haji

Mohammed Twana Othman Mohammed

Donetsk – Donbass

Dmytro Zhukov

Valera Kravchenko

Vitalii Mazin

Aleksandr Demenko

Germany Cof

Dennis Karwatzki

Ivan Mrkalj

André Ahnert

Julian Schilling

Thank you to all for your support!

Words: Isaac Martin | Photo: Mark Parsons

Yorkshire got their 2019 season under way in impressive fashion as they came out 6-2 winners over Somaliland at Athersley Recreation FC.

A debut hat-trick from James Walshaw saw the Vikings on their way to an impressive victory over the 2020 CONIFA Sportsbet.io World Football Cup hosts.

The game got off to a blistering start, as the debutant Walshaw was fouled in the box, leading to referee Karl Parker pointing straight to the spot in the 19^th minute.

The Scarborough Athletic FC marksman then dusted himself off and dinked a lovely penalty into the back of the net to open his international account and start off the scoring for the afternoon.

Although Somaliland were clearly a team going through lots of changes, they had several technically gifted players, but the hosts just didn’t give them a chance to get going in the opening stages of the tie.

The second goal of the game – and probably the pick of the bunch – came in the 42^nd minute. The Somaliland defence seemed to switch off after contesting a decision by the referee, but Yorkshire took full advantage of this as the ball fell to Matt Dempsey just inside the box, who took control with his chest and then bent a lovely effort past the opposing keeper into the far-left corner. An effort any striker would be proud of, never mind a defender!

In the second half, it appeared Somaliland might sneak back into the tie; a thunderous strike from their number 11, Abdi, was too much for the Vikings keeper George Clarke to deal with.

Despite this, Yorkshire soon got their two-goal cushion back. In the 64^th minute, Brodie Litchfield picked up his second Yorkshire goal in two games with a smart finish inside the box.

Despite pressure from Abdi, Yorkshire found their fourth goal of the afternoon in the 73^rd minute. After a rare shot from Loz Hunter was saved by the keeper, Walshaw was there to head in the rebound and pick up his second of the afternoon.

Two minutes later, referee Karl Parker would point to the spot for the second time of the afternoon in favour of Yorkshire, following some heavy challenges from Somaliland. Looking for his debut hat-trick, Walshaw stepped up but couldn’t squeeze it past the visiting keeper.

Luckily for the hosts, another debutant – Jack Normanton – was first to the rebound to get the Vikings’ fifth goal of the afternoon.

Walshaw wouldn’t rue that missed opportunity for long, though, as in the 83^rd minute after another foul from the visiting side, captain Pat McGuire whipped a perfectly weighted cross into the box that evaded everyone but Walshaw at the far post – who nodded it home.

Somaliland weren’t down and out just yet though; the shining light for the side, Abdi, grabbed his second of the game in the 87^th minute, a consolation goal perhaps, but one he deserved for his quality of play throughout the match.

By Isaac Martin

Image credit: Khalida Popal

During its 2019 Annual General Meeting in Krakow, CONIFA announced a new gender equality policy, or “Commitment to Gender Equality” as it is officially called.

The policy, which can also be found here, reads:

“As an organisation, CONIFA is committed to the principles of gender equality. As such, CONIFA will adhere to the following principles:

1. A Women’s World Football Cup is of equal importance to a Men’s World Football Cup. CONIFA thus commits itself to organise Women’s World Football Cups in all uneven years from 2019 onwards, with no exception.
2. CONIFA will actively promote female representation on its board and will encourage women around the world to apply for posts on the ExCo level.
3. CONIFA will distribute its resources equally between men’s and women’s football, spending not less than 40% of all development assistance funds on each gender, women and men.
4. CONIFA commits to make all possible efforts to use male and female referees in all tournaments going forwards.
5. CONIFA actively supports equal representation of genders on the bench and within Football Association roles and commits to assisting its members in including women in coaching and executive positions.”

CONIFA’s General Secretary Sascha Düerkop had this to say about the policy:

“Everyone at CONIFA is and always was fully convinced that football should be an equal playing field for everyone. Women and men should enjoy the same chances to grow through the beautiful game and should have exactly the same opportunities. Reviewing why women’s football in particular didn’t quite thrive within CONIFA, we could identify the limits in resources and funds: nearly all of our FAs, but also CONIFA itself, suffer from this as the main hindrance to equality.

“Most of our members did start with a men’s team and have much better-developed networks and know-how in men’s football. The limits we all face simply held most of the teams back to develop their women’s football programmes more, although many are doing a lot in that field already. Thus, the demand for women’s football tournaments was always there, but significantly lower than for men’s tournaments. Subsequently, CONIFA decided, year by year, to use the little resources we have to guarantee the continuation of the men’s tournaments instead,” Düerkop explains.

Düerkop and the Executive Committee of CONIFA wanted to do something about the lack of women’s football and he believes it has a huge potential within the organisation.

“After long debates on how we could ensure that our members and CONIFA itself could become a more active organiser in international women’s football, we concluded that we need to take the first step and provide the opportunity to grow to our members. We concluded that prioritising the continuation of men’s football, while sacrificing women’s football events due to the financial limits, was a mistake.

“Thus, we now fully commit to provide a platform for the Women’s World Football Cup as much as we are committed to stage the Men’s World Football Cup. We can’t allow another five years to pass by without providing such a platform. We expect our members to embrace this opportunity and we are fully convinced they will, as the demand is there. We are proud that we could implement such a significant and binding rule without a single objection and cannot wait to see the women’s game thriving within CONIFA.”

He is happy to see the activity already going on in women’s football and commends Sapmi and Northern Cyprus for hosting the first ever CONIFA women’s international match.

“Lastly, we want to emphasise that many of our members have been and still are very active in women’s football – and have regretted the absence of major tournaments. Sapmi and Northern Cyprus showed their ambition by staging a friendly match in Nicosia in 2018 and we cannot thank them enough for showing us what is possible for everyone in CONIFA!”

The gender equality rules and regulations are warmly welcomed by CONIFA’s Director of Women’s Football, Kelly Lindsey.

“CONIFA is special in this way, I felt from our very first conversation that the Executive Committee truly feels that the men’s and women’s departments are autonomous and equally valued,” she says.

“Although other organisations say the right thing, their structure does not promote the values they state. I believe CONIFA is different and I’m excited to work in an organisation that equally funds, values, and promotes the game. In my opinion, CONIFA’s new gender equality policy is true gender equality, and we need to make it happen.

“We need to ensure we are reaching out and engaging more women in the mission. I believe the difference between men and women, when it comes to these roles, is often men seek them out where as women appreciate being asked to join,” she continues.

“Women have a lot on their plates, so to give up more time to pursue another project requires value in the project they are pursuing. I am eager to bring women in who feel valued due to what they bring to the decision-making process. Women who know they have an autonomous voice to take action and execute their ideas.”

CONIFA’s Director of Member Development, Paul Watson, says he sees this as a serious statement from CONIFA:

“I’m really proud of CONIFA’s commitment to gender equality – it’s a statement that we’re serious about giving women’s and men’s football equal respect and attention and we intend to be held to that. “The potential for women’s football to grow in the CONIFA family is enormous and I’m looking forward to seeing what can be achieved.”

Author: Ola Bjerkevoll

“We became a group of women with a purpose, a vision, a mission”

Welcome to the second of three parts in our Q&A series with CONIFA’s brand-new Director of Women’s Football, Kelly Lindsey. Here, Kelly tells us how she ended up with the Afghanistan women’s national team – and what her biggest challenges have been in that role…

• READ PART ONE HERE

by Cassie Whittell and Ola Bjerkevoll

CONIFA: What’s been your proudest achievement as both a player – and as a coach?

Kelly Lindsey: “The first time I wore the USA women’s national team jersey was a moment I will never forget. The national anthem brought me to tears that day. I was a player who endured 10 knee surgeries in 10 years, all at the prime of my career, and thus my playing days were cut short. As I stood there in the locker room, seeing my name on the USA kit, it brought back all the memories of the many trials and tribulations I’d endured to wear the jersey; waking up from surgery wondering if I would ever walk again; the pain, the agony, the low moments, the first steps, the first run, training alone in the snow, getting up before school to run, extra training and touches before basketball practice, hours banging the ball against the wall and the couch… anything to get myself back to peak fitness and into the next training camp.

“The rise and fall of training so hard to get back into camp and start preparing for the next event, to the phone calls to my national team coaches to inform them I was in need of another operation on my knee… To have overcome so many obstacles to put that jersey on and play for my country was a memory I will never forget.

“As a coach, there are many moments, but one that really hits me was our 2016 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship journey with the Afghanistan women’s national team. We had brought a team together for the first time to India. We had a few days of training and then played against India and Bangladesh, two powerhouse teams in south Asia, who have a committed national team training schedule. India were champions in 2010, 2012, 2014 and then in 2016, and Bangladesh were runners-up in 2016. We were a team coming together for the first time, learning each other’s names, speaking six or seven different languages…

“I remember the post-game press conference and the emotions overwhelmed me. We played hard enough and competitively enough that this team from Afghanistan was being asked questions about football development and future aspirations. That’s significant, because this was a team that was often looked at as a charity case, and these were women united enough and competed hard enough to be asked questions about future World Cup dreams. They were seen as a football team!

“These women aspired to be the pride of the country, and they were on the right path, they had earned the respect to be seen as equals in the football community.”

C: How did you end up coaching and working with the Afghanistan women’s team?

KL: “In 2015, I was coaching at the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy, and a young woman from the Afghanistan women’s national team was my assistant coach. I heard about the challenges and struggles of the programme, and knew I wanted to help the team. I never imagined coaching them, I was trying to help host a training camp for them, where they could play in a safe environment, enjoy some friendly matches, connect with other young women playing football, and start to connect football with positivity. I wanted to organise some women’s leadership workshops to help support their development as both people and players.

“I worked with the Afghanistan Football Federation to organise and fund the training camp, but after months of working on the project, the federation just disappeared.

“A few months later, I got a call from Khalida Popal, as she was taking over the Afghanistan team as Program Director, and wanted to revisit the training-camp idea. We talked details and how to really help develop the team now and in the future. After some time, she came back and noted they had a goal this year to compete in the SAFF Championships… would I be willing to take on the challenge of coaching and helping build the new Afghanistan women’s national team?

“So we started on the journey together, building a professional staff who would volunteer their time and energy to build the foundation for these women to pursue their goals and dreams.”

C: What was the No1 factor for you deciding to take that particular role?

KL: “Our women have a champion spirit about them. I believe that anyone who has gone through the challenges these women have faced has an innate champion within them. I wanted to give them a professional environment that respected them as equals, gave them a voice, and provided the place and space to pursue their dreams. I wanted to teach them how to train and pursue their goals on and off the field, and provide them the environment to be their best and achieve their ultimate goal, which is ‘to bring pride to Afghanistan’.

“Beyond the pitch, we worked to build a leadership committee, and aimed to teach the women how to lead themselves. How to take ownership for their development and for the future of the programme.

“I knew from the moment I took that job that an outsider would never be the leader Afghanistan needed to unite the country and be the pride of the nation. They needed a woman from within the programme to rise through the ranks and take the reins. I was very honest with the team that my proudest moment would be when I was old and grey, watching the World Cup, and they were leading themselves on to the pitch. So we worked to help the players get their coaching certificates and start the journey to be the leaders the country needs.

“I took the job to help build the infrastructure and assist the next leaders who would take Afghanistan women’s football to the heights these women dreamed of.”

C: What’s been your biggest challenge during your time working with the Afghanistan team?

KL: “What hasn’t been a challenge is probably an easier question! The biggest challenge has been the inconsistent support of the Afghanistan Football Federation. Every time we ‘succeeded’ and did well on the world stage, they found a reason to shut us down. They treated the women’s team as a ‘check-the-box activity’ to earn FIFA funding and really did not support the team when the team excelled and earned global respect.

“Our staff acted as a federation within the federation. We put a development plan together, fundraised as a staff, co-ordinated and negotiated with other federations to support training camps for the team. Ultimately, the federation would not fully support these efforts, inhibiting the development and growth of the women’s team, year in and year out. One camp a year is not development, it’s just ticking that box. It was heartbreaking for the players, because they just wanted to train, play, and compete for their nation. The players have the best intentions to truly bring pride to the nation – and to have a federation stand in their way is disheartening to say the least. AFF’s lack of investment ensured the women were not competing consistently – and thus halting their development at a time when we were rising and competing well on the world stage.”

C: And what’s been the best thing to happen in the job – either on or off the pitch?

KL: “Afghanistan is a country of people who struggle to trust. In a war-torn country, you never know who is on which side, who you can believe, and who you can trust. You recognise it right away when you start working with the team. A group of women who have had many people come through and ‘help’ them – but these people come and go, and not much has changed.

“When we arrived as American coaches, we all had to learn to stand together. I remember our first meeting when I asked the team, ‘why are we here?’ and ‘What is our mission?’

“What came out of that meeting was the start of something so beautiful. We became a group of women with a purpose, a vision, a mission. Over the years, when the challenges were real and were hard, we always came back to this mission and united around it to take our next steps. We became a team, a family, and we are still growing as a family – together, piece by piece. We are Afghanistan and I am extremely proud of that.”

We’ll have the final part of our Q&A live tomorrow – so be sure to come back to find out about Kelly’s new role in CONIFA, and what her aims for women’s football are. Don’t miss it!

Author: Ola Bjerkevoll

“Let’s do great things together!”

This is the final part of our Q&A session with CONIFA’s brand-new Director of Women’s Football, Kelly Lindsey. Here we have a look at the role Kelly is taking on at CONIFA and what her goals for women’s football are…

• READ PART ONE HERE
• READ PART TWO HERE

by Cassie Whittell and Ola Bjerkevoll 

CONIFA: What attracted you to CONIFA and why did you decide to take on this brand-new role?

Kelly Lindsey: “CONIFA is a confederation focused on using football as a beacon of unity, hope and inspiration for people facing injustice, who are not supported by FIFA. Football is a powerful vehicle for peace, unification and pride, and it can break down barriers and lift up individuals, communities and nations.

“I have seen the change the game makes in the lives it touches. I believe CONIFA has the right values, structure and system in place to transform the sport’s governing culture. When a group of people work as hard as the CONIFA family does on executing and developing the game with integrity, the sky’s the limit on the impact we can make. It’s an honour to join the team and support the development of the women’s game with people who want to invest in cultivating the culture, system and mindset of success.

“From the moment I spoke to Paul [Watson, CONIFA’s Member Development Director], I knew this was a unique group of people, who saw past a ‘top-down’ governing style and were open to being connected to the member associations and working closely on some unique challenges and goals. When you can work directly with your members and be connected to the work at grassroots level, we can build a foundation for success that the teams, coaches, leaders and associations can feel pride in.

“The women’s game has so much growth potential – and the game transforms lives. Football builds character and confidence and gives the courage to pave new ways for women. It’s an honour to have the ability to build the place and space for more women to be educated through the game for the betterment of their lives as leaders, engaged citizens and change-makers of their unique communities. I look forward to working with CONIFA to build something uniquely special for the women’s game.”

C: What do you hope to bring to the role?

KL: “I hope to bring leadership that CONIFA members and women’s programmes around the world turn to for knowledge, advocacy and development. To build a network of leaders of the game to make progress and develop the best environments for women to succeed on the field and far beyond. I hope we turn heads, inspire dreams and transform opportunities. I aim to ensure we develop the game from uniquely local perspectives, because there are no two teams, countries or associations alike.

“Most importantly, I want to be a leader women can turn to and know they have a voice, with open lines of communication and outreach. Women around the world face unique challenges that often get overlooked when they put on a football kit. We are here to develop the women’s game and that means developing women along the way. May no woman feel like she stands alone – we will stand together at CONIFA.”

Author: Ola Bjerkevoll

“I believe in building champion cultures and developing people to achieve more than they ever believed was possible”

Welcome to a very special three-part Q&A session with CONIFA’s newly appointed Director of Women’s Football, Kelly Lindsey. In the first part of our interview with her, Kelly talks to us about her heroes both on and off the pitch, as well as how she found her way into playing and coaching…

by Cassie Whittell and Ola Bjerkevoll

CONIFA: First things first. How did you get involved in playing football? What was your first match, either playing or watching?

Kelly Lindsey: “I started playing football at age four. My older brother played, and I fell in love with the sport watching him. I had lots of energy as a child, I was always on the move, always running and playing. At that age, I wasn’t allowed to play football because I was too young, unless my father coached. So, even though my father wasn’t a football guy, he took on the role, read all the books and coached me for the next eight or so years.

“I don’t remember my very first game, but I do remember my first uniform and my first season as a footballer. Our team name was the ‘Get-Along Gang’ and we weren’t very good. We lost every game. I remember the last game of the season and my dad, our coach, told us if we scored a goal, he would buy us all ice cream. We scored our very first goal of the season in that match.   We celebrated like we had won the World Cup. Even though it was an own goal, Dad was a champion and took us for ice cream. The passion for football and ice cream carried on for years to come.”

C: Growing up, who were your heroes/inspirations, both football-related and in other fields? Which football team inspired you the most as a young player?

KL: “I remember being about five years old, sitting on the edge of my bed and looking up at a poster on my wall. My dad came in and asked me what I was doing. I said, ‘One day I’m going to play for that team.’ He said, ‘Well, you better get working!’

“It was the USA men’s national team I was talking about. There was very little, if any, marketing or knowledge of the women’s national team at that time. I didn’t know they even existed. Yet I was determined to play on that men’s team, and I believe my dad’s words that day guided me. He didn’t say anything about men versus women, he just said ‘get working’.

“I never idolised any heroes, but I respected many athletes who I thought I could learn something from to achieve my dream.

The Annual General Meeting of the Confederation of Independent Football Associations (CONIFA) on Saturday voted to revoke the provisional expulsion of the Manx International Football Alliance / Ellan Vannin (MIFA).

The CONIFA Executive Committee voted on 6 June 2018 to provisionally expel MIFA following their unilateral departure from the 2018 Paddy Power World Football Cup. MIFA’s departure occurred after the tournament management committee rejected MIFA’s challenge to the eligibility of a Barawa FA player.

Under the CONIFA Constitution, the expulsion required ratification from the subsequent Annual General Meeting, with a 75% majority.

In Krakow on Saturday, during the final session of the 2019 Annual General Meeting, a secret ballot was held following statements from MIFA and several other relevant stakeholders. Of the 208 available votes, 70 were cast in favour of expulsion, 118 were cast against expulsion and 20 votes abstained. Accordingly, the expulsion resolution did not carry and MIFA regained its CONIFA membership.

A CONIFA Executive Committee spokesperson said following the vote: ‘We look forward to welcoming MIFA back into the CONIFA family. The CONIFA Executive Committee will respect the democratic will of its members.’

A full summary from the 2019 Annual General Meeting will be provided soon.

From the all-important 2019 European Football Cup draw to confirming the admission of new members, CONIFA’s annual gathering in Krakow will set the tone for the year ahead…

2018 was a superlative year for CONIFA, as the roster of member associations continued to grow, and the staging of the 2018 World Football Cup in London attracted unprecedented interest across the globe.

It’s in this context in which the organisation enters its 2019 AGM over the weekend of 25^th-27th January, with the goal of capitalising on the increased interest in its activities. With all individuals working within CONIFA doing so in a voluntary capacity, the annual general meeting offers a rare opportunity to meet under a single roof and take the decisions that will shape the confederation’s future.

Every year so far, the AGM has taken place in a different city across Europe, with this sixth edition coming to Poland’s beautiful second city of Krakow.

Top of the agenda will be Sunday morning’s draw for the 2019 edition of the European Football Cup. This year’s competition will see CONIFA return to the Caucasus for a second time following the success of the 2016 World Football Cup in Abkhazia, as CONIFA’s European sides head for Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh).

Sadly, Karpatalya and Northern Cyprus, the reigning WFC champions and runners-up, will be absent from the draw as they are unable to take part. But two-time European champions Padania will be there to defend their title, and are joined by 2016 WFC champions Abkhazia. For the full lowdown on the teams involved and how to follow the draw live, follow this link.

As well as the nitty-gritty of finances and the constitution, those present at the AGM will have the opportunity to hear a presentation from the Somaliland FA on their bid to host the WFC in 2020. The final decision on a host for the tournament will be taken at a later date.

The meeting will also discuss the admission of the newest members of the CONIFA family, with applications from Australian First Nations Mariya, Chameria, Karen People, Kernow, Laz People, Parishes of Jersey and Sardinia to be ratified.

All the important information and documentation on this year’s AGM can be found here. And we’ll be live tweeting and posting from the AGM on all the important decisions taken over the weekend, as well as live streaming the EFC draw on 27^th January via Mycujoo and Facebook Live.

If you are a journalist who would like to attend the CONIFA AGM, please email press@conifa.org

Dear Mr President,

We write regarding recent statements made by your colleagues, Ukraine’s Sport Minister Mr Ihor Zhdanov and Foreign Minister Mr Pavlo Klimkin. Mr Zhdanov and Mr Klimkin have made public statements equated the football players of the Karpatalya representative football team with terrorists and labelled them separatists. The government of Ukraine has also recently banned certain players from the Karpatalya team from entering the territory of Ukraine for life, while the Football Federation of Ukraine (FFU) has banned certain players from playing domestic football or life.

The Confederation of Independent Football Associations (CONIFA) is a non-profit charity registered in Sweden. CONIFA is strictly politically neutral and takes no position on the political status of its members, which range from United Nations member states such as Tuvalu, contested territories such as Somaliland and ethnic minority groups such as the United Koreans of Japan. CONIFA’s simple ethos is that everyone should be able to play football, regardless of borders, politics etc.

The Karpatalya representative football team has been a member of CONIFA since 2016. It represents the approximately 151,000 members of the Hungarian minority within the Zakarpattia Oblast of Ukraine. The team members strongly identify as “Karpatalyans” in a way that they see themselves as a binding element between their Hungarian heritage and their Ukrainian home. To reflect that loyalty to both countries, the team adopted a badge incorporating the outline of Zarpattia Oblast, yellow-blue stripes and the bear of the Coat of Arms of the Oblast, along with the flag and Coat of Arms of Hungary. Similarly, the team plays their matches either in the Hungarian red-white-green dress or in a Ukrainian yellow-blue outfit. The intention is to strongly demonstrate to spectators and followers within both countries and beyond that Ukraine and Hungarian roots do not have to be contradictory, but that the Hungarian population of Zakarpattia Oblast feels both Ukrainian and “Karpatalyan”. To the best of our knowledge, no player or administrator associated with the Karpatalya representative football team has ever publicly expressed any separatist sentiments.

After Karpatalya’s debut participation at a CONIFA event, the 2017 European Football Cup in Northern Cyprus, the team qualified for CONIFA’s most significant global tournament – the 2018 Paddy Power World Football Cup. This event brought together sportsmen from 16 different represented entities from across the world in London, United Kingdom. The tournament received glowing coverage in international press, including in The Guardian, The New York Times, BBC, Le Monde, El Pais, AP, CNN, South China Morning Post, Deutsche Welle and Yahoo. All players in the tournament were released by their clubs for the tournament, and not a single player – with the exception of what follows – has been sanctioned by their national federation or club for their participation. To the contrary, many received a heroes’ welcome upon their return.

The Karpatalya team is the sad exception. After winning the 2018 Paddy Power World Football Cup, the team faced a harsh welcome in their homeland. In June 2018, Sports Minister Mr Zhdanov wrote on his Facebook account:

Separatism has no place in Ukrainian sports! It does not matter who it is funded and fuelled by, either from Russia or other countries. Excited by the participation of the so-called football team “Karpatalya” (“Transcarpathia” – Hungarian) in the self-proclaimed World Championship among unrecognized and partially recognized countries. […] I call on the Security Service of Ukraine to respond appropriately to such a frank act of sporting separatism. It is necessary to interrogate the players of the team, as well as to analyse in detail the activities of the deputy organizer of the “Carpathian” for the purpose of encroachment on the territorial integrity of Ukraine and ties with terrorist and separatist groups.

With respect, we completely reject Sports Minister Mr Zhdanov’s characterisation of the tournament and the Karpatalya team’s participation. Playing football is no act of separatism. It is a sporting activity first and foremost, and an expression and promotion of the heritage of the teams – the Karpatalyan heritage, as described above. All CONIFA members have to agreed prior to participating that they will not make political statements during the tournament, and Karpatalya have never sought to politicise CONIFA’s tournaments. To reiterate: CONIFA is about the freedom to play football, not about politics or separatism or other such matters.

We were shocked by Sports Minister Mr Zhdanov’s claims that the team might have “ties with terrorists and separatist groups”. The team is affiliated with CONIFA only and meets other of our members on the football pitch. None of the teams participating in the 2018 Paddy Power World Football Cup are separatist groups or terrorists, but are athletes of different backgrounds. We want to emphasise that the United Kingdom, were the tournament was played, has very strict anti-terrorism laws. It goes without saying therefore that “terrorists” would never be able to travel to London to participate in a public tournament. Similarly, Foreign Minister Mr Klimkin publicly posted criticism of the Karpatalya team on Facebook, stating euphemistically that he hoped the team “is met by a ‘friendly’ welcome in the motherland”.

Moreover, in mid-October, the Ukraine national news agency published a report that all players of the Karpatalya squad that have a Ukrainian passport and live in Ukraine will be banned from all football activities for lifetime by the FFU. Vadim Kostyuchenko, Vice President of the FFU, explained that the participation of the Karpatalya team in the CONIFA World Football Cup 2018 in London had a negative impact on the authority and the reputation of the FFU. Denouncing and punishing a group of Ukrainian football players in such a way, in our opinion, violates the statutes of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), of which the FFU is a member. Relevantly, Article 4 states that “discrimination of any kind against […] a group of people on account of […] ethnic or national origin, […], political opinion or any other opinion, […] or any other reason is strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion.” We intend to provide a copy of this correspondence to FIFA, and request that FIFA take disciplinary action against the FFU unless the ban is overturned.

In the same news item, it was reported that “organisers and members of the Karpatalya team, which are a citizen of Hungary, are banned from entering the territory of Ukraine”. In fact, the majority of the players do have a Hungarian passport, although they originate from and were born in Zakarpattia Oblast, Ukraine. The overwhelming majority of those players have family and friends in Ukraine. Others, like the coach Istvan Sandor, can now never again visit the graves of their parents and, in his case, his brother. Mr. Sandor is also quoted by several Hungarian newspaper claiming that the team “brought victory (in the World Football Cup 2018) to Karpatalya and the whole of Ukraine”.

CONIFA is currently investigating how the decision to ban Hungarian citizens that were born in Ukraine and with a Ukrainian passport violates the Human Right of Return, which Ukraine has ratified by signing the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1973. We are seeking legal advice on the steps that players affected by this ban might take to vindicate their rights under this and other international instruments to which Ukraine is a party.

CONIFA respectfully urges you to address these issues. We ask you to condemn the statements by the Sports Minister Mr Zhdanov and Foreign Minister Mr Klimkin. We urge you to ensure Ukraine remains committed to human rights and welcoming of all people living in Ukraine, regardless of their ethnic heritage. We urge you to take all steps within your authority to ensure that statements and actions that contravene Ukrainian and international law are condemned and, if necessary, nullified. Finally, we urge you to ensure that players and administrators from the Karpatalya team are permitted ordinary access to Ukraine, to permit them to visit their families, the graves of their forefathers, and their homes. CONIFA would welcome the opportunity to discuss any of the above with you. Thank you for your time.

Sincere regards,

Executive Committee

Confederation of Independent Football Associations

Thanks to Fusion Media Group for this fantastic video. Check out other videos from Fusion Media at www.fusionmedia.co.uk.