BELFAST, June 20: The Irish Football Association (IFA) said on Monday it had reached agreement with FIFA to allow soccer players holding an Irish passport to continue representing the British-ruled province of Northern Ireland.

FIFA, the governing body of world soccer, ruled last month that Northern Ireland players must hold British passports, despite a UN-recognised agreement allowing Northern Irish citizens to hold passports from either jurisdiction.

The ruling sparked anger in the Irish Republic, prompting foreign minister Dermot Ahern to send his ambassador to Switzerland for a meeting with FIFA officials.—Reuters