World soccer governing body FIFA banned Ethiopia from the 2010 World Cup on Friday after the long-running power struggle within the sport in the African nation failed to be resolved.

FIFA said that all four matches played by Ethiopia to date in African zone Group 8 qualifying tournament, as well as the results of those matches, are now cancelled.

The group now comprises three teams - Morocco, Mauritania and Rwanda. Ethiopia had won two matches in the group and had garnered six points.

"The Bureau of the Organizing Committee for the FIFA World Cup has decided to exclude the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) from the preliminary competition with immediate effect," said a FIFA statement.

"The FIFA Emergency Committee suspended the EFF on 29 July 2008 due to the non-compliance of the EFF with the road-map agreed in February 2008 by FIFA, the African Football Confederation (CAF) and the EFF in order to normalize the situation of the federation."

Source:Xinhua