BAGHDAD, Dec 15: Three Iraqi football players and an assistant coach who abandoned the Olympic team in Australia to seek asylum there will never be allowed to represent their country again, a senior Iraqi football official said on Friday.

The four disappeared in Sydney last month, one day after Iraq lost to Australia 2-0 in a Group ‘A’ qualifying match for next year’s Olympic Games in Beijing.

Australia drew 1-1 at North Korea the following week to top the group, one ahead of Iraq, who failed to qualify despite a 5-2 win against Lebanon in their final group match.

“We penalised the players because they left the team before the qualifying campaign was complete. They put their personal interest ahead of the interest of the team and the fans,” said Tariq Ahmed, the deputy secretary general of the Iraqi football federation.

The four — Ali Mansour, Ali Khidhayyir, Ali Abbas and assistant coach Saadi Toma, apparently remain in Australia. At the time they left their team, an Australian official said the players still had valid visas and had not yet applied for asylum.

In addition to serving a life ban from coaching any of Iraq’s national squads, Toma has been banned from working with Iraqi club sides for two years.—AP