By Osasu Obayiuwana BBC Sport

Kenya could be back in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers

Kenya could return to international football on 6 August if the country adheres to an agreement with world football's governing body Fifa.

The deal was reached between a delegation led by Kenyan Sports Minister Ochillo Ayacko and Fifa officials after two days of talks between the 20th and 21st of July in Zurich.

Fifa suspended the East African country from international football in June after the body accused the Kenyan government of interfering in the internal affairs of the Kenya Football Federation (KFF).

Kenya's national team, the Harambee Stars, will be allowed to rejoin the qualification race for the 2006 World Cup finals, as long as the government gives its full support to the KFF's Normalisation Committee headed by athletics legend Kipchoge Keino.

Under the agreement, it is expected that the government will allow the Keino-led committee to have access to the KFF headquarters in order to carry out its duties.

I am confident that the suspension will be lifted Fifa deputy general secretary Jerome Champagne

The Nairobi-based building was sealed off after the previous executive led by Maina Kariuki was dismissed by the government.

Another term of the agreement between Fifa and Kenya is that a process leading to the formation of a unified league must be in place by 1 August and that the championship must commence in September.

In addition, a process to review the KFF statutes and elect a new board by 31 December must also be put in place.

Demonstrable progress

Fifa's emergency committee will revoke the suspension on 6 August if serious efforts have been made by Kenya to adhere to the Zurich agreement.

Champagne is confident of Kenya's return

"We had a very good meeting with the Kenyan officials and we are confident that the troubles in Kenyan football will be coming to an end soon," Fifa deputy general secretary Jerome Champagne told BBC Sport.

"As long as Kenya keeps to what has been agreed upon and makes efforts to move things forward, I am confident that the suspension would be lifted."

However, should Fifa's emergency committee fail to revoke the suspension, on the grounds that Kenya have not done enough to give teeth to the 21 July agreement, the national team will not rejoin the 2006 World Cup qualifiers.

Fifa has promised to reschedule the three matches Kenya have failed to play but has warned that should they be unable to play their 4 September tie against Malawi, they will not be reintegrated into the group phase.

"If they do not play their match against Malawi on the scheduled date, I think it would be impossible for Kenya to continue in the qualifiers," Champagne said.

"We can just about reschedule the three games they have missed but the complexities of the international football calendar will not allow us to reschedule four.