By most estimates, Australia's Federal Government is contributing a little over $45 million of taxpayer's money towards Football Federation Australia's bid for the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Just quietly, around a quarter of that figure — some $10 million — is heading out of the country and into the pockets of offshore consultants of the calibre that we apparently do not have in Australia to ensure the bid is successful.

(Yes, yes, the official line items in the budget suggest a lot less than $10 million go to "consultants" but we all know it's not what is in a budget that matters – it's how you write it that counts.)

Similarly, with the ambiguous exit from the organisation of Bonita Mersiades, FFA's Head of Corporate and Public Affairs (promoted to the role of "Strategic Adviser to the Chairman and CEO" before she left), more government money is heading to the UK as media consultants are employed there to manage Australia's international image among FIFA's 24-man Executive Committee.

Add in the Federal Government's ability to bring States into line over stadia construction and Canberra's job to improve infrastructure across the country should Australia win either 2018 or 2022 and it is clear that without government action there will be no chance whatsoever of a World Cup in Australia.

The support of government is considered a key to the bid so much so that Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has appeared in official bid publicity films and has visited FIFA President Sepp Blatter at his own headquarters in Zurich.

Government and sport mix, you see. It's good business.

That is, of course, unless FIFA declares government interest in football as "interference".

Currently, Iraq and Kuwait are in the international football wilderness after being "suspended" by FIFA for "government interference" in its football administration.

El Salvador and Samoa are under the spotlight too although the issues of concern are not immediately clear.

But it is the experience of Togo, last weekend banned by the Confederation of African Football for two Cup of African Nations tournaments and fined USD$50,000 which has shown how arbitrary and ridiculous the reach of sports administration can become.

Togo's football team, as you will recall, was attacked by terrorists in Angola while travelling to a football match last month.

Not just any match – this was the Cup of African Nations.

The attack left three members of Togo's travelling party dead and many seriously injured.

Some members of the team wished to play on in the tournament, others were not so sure.

Their fears became irrelevant when the Togo government pulled the team out of the tournament amid fears its safety could not be guaranteed in Angola (a bit late, perhaps, but it's the thought counts).

Last weekend, Issa Hayatou, President of CAF, issued the regional body's decree.

The reason for the ban was that Togo's government, by withdrawing its football team from danger, had exercised "political interference".

"I am curious to know if [Sepp] Blatter and [UEFA President Michel] Platini will endorse this decision," Togo's French coach, Hubert Velud, acutely asked.

"If they let this go, it is the gateway to completely dysfunctional football."

Drive to a match, get killed, and be banned from subsequent tournaments.

Sound fair?

Interference or support?

Perhaps it depends on how much money is involved.