The ban on the Sudan Football Association comes over alleged government interference its affairs and after the forceable eviction of the FIFA-recognised leadership from the association’s headquarters in Khartoum.

FIFA had given Sudan until the end of June to sort out a compromise between two rival factions claiming control of the country’s football but failure to do so has seen the imposition of an indefinite ban.

It means three Sudanese clubs, all in with a chance of reaching the quarter-finals of the African Champions League and African Confederation Cup, have been stopped from playing their final group games and by virtue of the enforced forfeit are disqualified from the competitions, the Confederation of African Football confirmed on Friday.

Khartoum’s two most popular clubs, Al Hilal and Al Merreikh, were paired in the same group in the Champions League and both still had a chance to qualify on Friday. But with their matches against Etoile Sahel of Tunisia and Ferroviario Beira of Mozambique cancelled, their opponents now advance.

Al Hilal Obayed, the surprise package of the Confederation Cup and already qualified for the last eight, were already in Zambia for their final Group C match against Zesco United on Sunday which would have determined top place in Group C. But they are now also disqualified.

The ban also means CAF must scramble to find new referees for the Confederation Cup tie between Platinum Stars of South Africa and Swaziland’s Mbabane Swallows on Saturday.

FIFA, who take a strong line on governmental interference in the running of member associations, want the SFA leadership of Mutasim Gaafar returned to office. Last month, Sudan's Ministry of Justice had him removed, with police violently evicting members of his executive, and replaced by Abdel Rahman Elkatim.

"The suspension would be lifted once the decree of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice of 2 June is declared null or void and the Board of Directors of the SFA with its President, Dr Mutasim Gaafar, is reinstated," said a FIFA statement.

World football’s governing body sent a delegation to Khartoum to meet the country’s sports minister to seek a solution but the factions failed to agree the direction advised by FIFA officials, it added.