Baghdad • The Iraqi Football Association said yesterday it plans to block three players from joining foreign clubs and may try to ban them from international matches after they sneaked off after an Olympic qualifier in Australia with plans to seek asylum.

The association’s Secretary-General Ahmed Abbas said it was considering “severe punishment” against the players, who secretly left their team hotel just hours after losing 2-0 in a 2008 Olympic qualifier on Saturday.

Midfielder Ali Abbas, one of the heroes of Iraq’s stunning Asian Cup triumph in July, was among the defectors. The other two players were identified as Ali Mansur and Ali Khadher. Assistant coach Sadi Toma also went missing, the association said on Sunday.

“We asked the (world soccer body FIFA) to inform the Australian Football Association that those three players have contracts with Iraqi clubs ... and have not received their international transfer certificate from the Iraqi association,” Secretary-General Abbas told Reuters by telephone.

Such certificates are needed for the players to join clubs abroad.

“We will not give them the certificates until they come back and settle their contracts with the clubs.”

A spokeswoman for the Australian immigration minister has said the players and Toma had valid visas to remain in Australia, the Australian Associated Press reported.

Abbas said the men had three-month visas. He said Toma told team officials in Australia he was leaving to work for an amateur club formed by Iraqi exiles. The association has said Toma told team officials the players would seek asylum.