El Salvador averts ban recognising FIFA commission

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - El Salvador had a FIFA suspension lifted when the country's government on Friday recognised a commission set up by world soccer's governing body to run the Salvadoran Football Federation (Fesfut).

FIFA suspended the Central American country 10 days ago after the government of leftist President Mauricio Funes would not recognise the commission set up last July to put Fesfut's books in order a month after chairman Rodrigo Calvo resigned.

"It is with much pleasure that I will hand over the (Fesfut's) ministerial accord of registration so that Salvadorean football can resume its course," government Minister Humberto Centeno told a news conference.

The recognition will be valid until July 31 when there will be an assembly to vote in a new board of governors for Fesfut.

FIFA, which does not approve of government intervention in soccer affairs, had set a June 8 deadline for the situation to be resolved or ratification of El Salvador's suspension from all football worldwide until June 2011.

Recognition of Fesfut also frees match officials Joel Aguilar, William Torres and Juan Francisco Zumba to go to the World Cup in South Africa which kicks off on June 11.

(Reporting by Nelson Renteria; writing by Rex Gowar in Buenos Aires; Editing by Alison Wildey;

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