Former Australia soccer captain Craig Foster will lobby officials at world governing body FIFA later on Monday for them to intervene on behalf of a Bahraini refugee player being detained in Thailand and facing deportation to his country.

The Asian Football Confederation said on Saturday that President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa had had no influence on their handling of the case of a Bahraini player arrested in Thailand in November over a prison sentence in his homeland.

Head of World Players Association said Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa should be disqualified from his positions as vice-president of Fifa and president of the Asian Football Confederation if Hakeem Al-Araibi is returned to Bahrain, the Guardian reported.

Australian football player and analyst Craig Foster said that he demanded a meeting with FIFA administration on Monday.

FIFA sent on Wednesday (January 23, 2019) a letter to Prayut Chan-o-cha, the prime minister of Thailand, urging him to immediately release the Bahraini footballer Hakeem Al-Araibi, and demanding discussing Al-Araibi's case with representative from the Thai government.

A former Australian soccer player campaigning to free a Bahraini refugee athlete detained in Thailand wants FIFA, the sport's governing body, to sanction the soccer associations of Thailand and Bahrain if they fail to help.

Australian football player and analyst Craig Foster continues his tour in Thailand in support of Hakeem Al-Araibi's case.

FIFA said it has been in regular contact with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) over the Bahraini footballer arrested in Thailand in November over a prison sentence in his homeland, Reuters reported.

FIFA stated that Mr. Hakeem Al-Araibi, who is currently being detained in prison in Thailand awaiting the outcome of extradition proceedings to Bahrain, should be allowed to return safely to Australia where he can resume his career as a professional footballer.

Australian football player Craig Foster said in a tweet that "Day [yesterday] 38 of detention for Hakeem Al-Araibi," urging to write to president of FIFA, president of Asian Football Confederation, Prime Minister of Thailand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Prime Minister of Australia and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Australia to support Al-Araibi's case.

A former Bahrain national footballer with Australian refugee status must remain in detention in Thailand as he awaits possible extradition, a Bangkok court said Tuesday, as campaigners say they fear he could be "tortured" if returned to the Gulf state.

ADHRB sent a letter to Vice President of FIFA, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, calling on him to support and endorse FIFA’s call to allow footballer Hakeem Al-Araibi, currently detained in Thailand, to return to Australia rather than have him deported to Bahrain, where he potentially faces torture and abuse.

World football's governing body, FIFA, demanded on Friday the return of Bahraini football player to Australia at the earliest possible moment, where he enjoys refugee status.

Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received the President of the International Football Federation (FIFA) Gianni Infantino.

FIFA lifted its three-decade ban on Iraq hosting international football on Friday with the cities of Erbil, Basra and Karbala given the go-ahead to stage official matches.

Campaign groups argue that Bahrain’s association with glamour sport is used to ‘launder’ a more wholesome image for the country.

Qatar's 2022 World Cup organizers have welcomed a long-awaited FIFA report on the race to host the tournament, saying the conclusions represented "a vindication of the integrity" of Doha's bid.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticized President of the Asian Football Confederation, Bahrain’s Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, for voting against a Palestinian proposal to halt Israeli football matches on occupied territories.

The FIFA Congress was held on Thursday (May 11, 2017) in Bahrain with the participation of Israeli Football Union amid popular Bahraini rejection.

Bahraini authorities denied an entry visa to a Human Rights Watch researcher. HRW said that this move proves that “Bahrain has yet again shown its intolerance of human rights advocates,” according to Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.