What next for Caf boss Ahmad after Fifa ban
Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar reacts after being elected the new president of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) in Addis Ababa on March 16, 2017.
What you need to know:
- Ahmad dethroned long-serving Issa Hayatou in 2017 after he had been at the helm of Caf for two and a half decades.
- With an annual budget estimated to run into billions of dollars Fifa has been praised over its efforts to develop football. However, there have been sticky issues.
The five-year suspension of Confederation of Africa Football (Caf) chief Ahmad Ahmad over corruption throws his bid of re-election in limbo and fuels allegations of impropriety in the running of the beautiful game.
World football governing body Fifa Monday banned the Madagascan for breaching the code of ethics.
However, the 60-year-old, who last week stood down from his post for 20 days after testing positive for coronavirus, can appeal the ban “from all football-related activity” at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
“The investigation into Mr Ahmad’s conduct … from 2017 to 2019 concerned various Caf-related governance issues, including the organisation and financing of ah Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca, his involvement in Caf's dealing with the sports equipment company Tactical Steel and other activities,” a Fifa statement read in part.
It further said that that Ahmad was found to have breached codes relating to duty of loyalty, offering and accepting gifts, abuse of position, as well as misappropriation of funds. Ahmad has also been fined 200,000 Swiss francs ($220,000) (Sh24,111,164) by Fifa.
Ahmad, who is also a Fifa vice president, has denied any wrongdoing.
These charges stem from Ahmad’s use of Caf’s funds to ferry African football leaders to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage and various procurement deals leading to his temporary arrest in France last year.
Last month, Ahmad announced his bid for a second term during CAF polls scheduled for March next year in Rabat, Morocco. He had been endorsed by 46 out the 54 African football associations, including Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa.
South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe and Mauritius Football Association boss Ahmed Yahya are among the front-runners looking to unseat Ahmad.
Ahmad becomes the second senior after former Ghana FA boss Kwesi Nyantakti to be banned by Fifa in the past three years,
Last month the former Caf senior vice-president had his lifetime ban from football for breaking Fifa bribery and corruption rules reduced to 15 years.
Ahmad dethroned long-serving Issa Hayatou in 2017 after he had been at the helm of Caf for two and a half decades.
With an annual budget estimated to run into billions of dollars Fifa has been praised over its efforts to develop football. However, there have been sticky issues.
Fifa president Gianni Infantinno is currently subject to investigations by a Swiss court.
