FIFA lifts fans ban against Ukraine

KIEV - The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) has lifted the one-match ban against Ukrainian fans for racist crowd behavior, Ukraine's Football Federation (FFU) official said Thursday.

"The sanctions are not removed while the FIFA is considering an appeal by the FFU against the charges," the honorary President of the FFU Hryhory Surkis told journalists here.

The FIFA decision means the fans would be allowed to watch the next Ukraine's home World Cup qualifier against Poland on October 11 at the Metallist stadium in Kharkov city of country's east, Surkis said.

He added that the Lvov-Arena stadium ban still remains in force.

Ukraine was punished by FIFA following racist behaviors of its fans in the match against San Marino on September 6 in western Lvov city.

On September 27 FIFA banned the blue-yellow squad from staging World Cup qualifiers at its Lvov-Arena stadium until 2018 and ordered its next home match had to be played behind closed doors.

Earlier on Thursday, Ukraine's Football Federation has filed an appeal the FIFA Disciplinary Committee with a request to lift the sanctions.