BAGHDAD, Dec 26: The Iraqi Football Federation (FIF) have severed links with their United Arab Emirates counterparts following the refusal of an Emirates club to play an official match in Baghdad, INA news agency reported Tuesday.

The FIF action follows the refusal of Emirates club Al-Wehda to play their Asian Club Championship tie this week against Al-Zaoura in the Iraqi capital.

INA reported the FIF decision also includes “the stopping of transfers of players and coaches to Emirates clubs and the end to in-club placements and friendly matches in the United Arab Emirates.”

After the invasion of Kuwait in 1990 by Iraq the country was barred from several Arab and Asian sporting competitions, with Baghdad accusing the Gulf states, in particular Kuwait and Saudia Arabia, of being behind the boycott.

Since then several Arab and Asian teams have played in Baghdad with the most recent being two weeks ago the Asian Club Championship match between Al-Wakra of Qatar and Al-Zaoura.

Iraq and the Emirates re-established ties in July 2000 and last August the two national sides met in a warm-up friendly for the Asian World Cup qualifers second round.

The secretary general of the Emirates football federation Matar Al-Tayer Tuesday denounced the FIF decision, claiming that he had received no official notification of the action.

The away match between Al-Wehda and Al-Zaoura was played Tuesday in Doha, with the return leg in Amman on Dec 29.—AFP