FIFA HITS MEXICO FANS WITH BAN

Mexican fans will be barred from the stadium for their country's first two home 2022 World Cup qualifiers after making homophobic chants during two Olympic qualifying games in March, FIFA said in a statement on Friday. Mexico's games against Jamaica on Sept. 2 and Canada on Oct. 7 in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying will be played in empty stadiums as a result of the sanctions. That could prove beneficial to Canada's young national side, which is in the final round of World Cup qualifying for the first time since 1997. FIFA'S disciplinary committee also fined Mexico's Football Federation US$65,118.30 for chants from fans during games against the Dominican Republic on March 18 and the United States on March 24. The committee has also launched an investigation into chants during a friendly against Iceland in Texas on May 29.