Ethiopia’s hopes of reaching the next round of 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers suffered a massive blow when Fifa cancelled their game with Morocco.

Morocco were due to travel to play Ethiopia for the game next weekend but football’s world governing body has now confirmed that the match has been cancelled.

The Ethiopia Football Federation (EFF) was suspended by football’s world governing body last month following a long-running row over what Fifa considers the wrongful dismissal of the federation’s leaders. “Fifa today confirmed that the match is cancelled due to the current suspension of the Ethiopian Football Federation from international football,” Fifa said in a statement.

Fifa added that the World Cup organising committee would meet on an unspecified date to decide what effect the cancelled game would have on the situation in Ethiopia’s qualifying group.

Ethiopia is currently third in the four-team group which also includes Rwanda and Mauritania.