Governing Bodies
BREAKING: FIFA HAMMER DANGLES OVER CAF BOSS, AHMAD OVER ETHICAL BREACHES
It gets from bad to worse for the embattled president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Ahmad as he has been found to have breached various codes of ethics.
The report of Ahmad’s guilt has been revealed by BBC Sport Africa.
On Wednesday, the FIFA vice-president from Madagascar announced his intention to go for a second term in office when CAF elections take place next March.
This could now be in doubt after the investigatory chamber of football’s world governing body determined that he has breached various codes of conduct.
The next step is for the adjudicatory chamber to hand out its sentencing, a source said, adding that this will possibly happen by the end of November.
Any ban is likely to rule out Ahmad’s chances of standing for re-election, given he would have to pass an eligibility test to resume his place on the FIFA Council.
BBC Sport Africa understands that the alleged breaches include Ahmad’s role in the controversial deal involving Tactical Steel.
Tactical Steel is a little-known French gym manufacturer, run by an old friend of Ahmad’s then attaché Loic Gerand, which provided sportswear equipment to CAF in 2017 after an original deal with Puma was cancelled.
The deal with Puma, which was slightly smaller, was worth just under $250,000 while the alternative deal with Tactical Steel – for 22,000 items instead of 15,000 – came to just over $1m.
At the time, Ahmad denied accusations of any wrongdoing in the deal as ‘totally false, malicious and defamatory’.
A FIFA spokesperson refused to comment on the ethics case when contacted by BBC Sport Africa.
“Please note that as a general policy, the independent Ethics Committee does not comment on potential ongoing proceedings nor on whether or not investigations are underway into alleged cases,” the spokesperson said.
“As usual, any information the Ethics Committee may like to share will be communicated accordingly upon their indications.”
Earlier this week, Ahmad refused to comment on the investigation.
“I don’t want to talk about it, especially as the investigation/inquiry is ongoing – (and) there is a respect of confidentiality surrounding an ongoing process,” he said.
On Wednesday, the BBC again approached Ahmad for comment but has yet to hear back. Ahmad has previously strongly denied any wrongdoing.
CAF’s former Secretary General Amr Fahmy initiated the complaint in March 2019 when sending documentary evidence to FIFA, with the organisation’s former Finance Director Mohamed El Sherei following suit with his own evidence a few months later.
FIFA conducted an audit into CAF last year which – when leaked in February – described Ahmad’s organization as being in ‘disarray’ while questioning the body’s accounting, its governance and its payments.
At the time, the audit recommended further investigation into the deal with Tactical Steel.
A second audit duly followed earlier this year, concluding in July.
Ahmad has also been investigated by French anti-corruption authorities who questioned the Malagasy in Paris in June 2019. He has not been charged with any offence.
The former vice-president of Madagascar’s Senate has led African football since 2017, when he dethroned long-standing ruler Issa Hayatou.
CAF’s next presidential elections take place in March 2021 in Morocco, with the registration deadline for candidates ending on 12 November.
Whatever the outcome of any decision, Ahmad would be able to appeal at sport’s highest legal power, the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Governing Bodies
FIFA opens disciplinary proceedings against Congo officials over financial misconduct
FIFA’s ethics committee launched disciplinary proceedings against three senior Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT) officials on Wednesday, including president Jean-Guy Mayolas, over allegations of financial misconduct.
Mayolas, his wife and his son were sentenced to life in prison earlier this month after a criminal court in the Congolese capital, Brazzaville, convicted them of embezzling $1.1 million in FIFA funds. Media reports said their whereabouts were not known , and they were tried in absentia.
FECOFOOT general secretary Wantete Badji and treasurer Raoul Kanda are also subject to the disciplinary proceedings, FIFA said. Badji and Kanda were sentenced to five years each in prison by the court in Brazzaville for related charges.
“These proceedings follow the receipt of information and documents during an audit,” FIFA said in a statement.
-Reuters
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The World Anti-Doping Agency is considering rewriting its rules to try barring President Donald Trump and all U.S. government officials from attending the LA Olympics in 2028, in a move that could also have implications for the World Cup being hosted by the U.S. this summer.
The proposal, on the agenda for next Tuesday’s meeting of the global drug-fighting watchdog’s executive committee, is the latest manoeuvre to come out of a yearslong refusal of the U.S. government to pay its annual dues to WADA.
The refusal is part of the American government’s unanimous, bipartisan protest of the agency’s handling of a case involving Chinese swimmers and other issues.
The Associated Press learned of the agenda item through correspondence it obtained between WADA and European officials involved in the agency’s decision-making. Two others with knowledge of the agenda confirmed the existence of the rules proposal to AP; they were not authorised to speak publicly about the agenda, which has not been released publicly.
The proposal was, in fact, first brought up in 2024, when U.S. authorities successfully lobbied for its rejection. The U.S. has since lost its seat on the executive committee.
“In spite of WADA’s increasing threats, we continue to stand firm in our demand for accountability and transparency from WADA to ensure fair competition in sport,” said Sara Carter, the director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
The rule, if passed, would figure to be mostly symbolic, given the limits an international sports federation could have on the president of a country attending an event inside his own borders.
“I have never heard of a $50-million-budget Swiss foundation being able to enforce a rule to, for example, prevent the United States president from going anywhere,” said Carter’s predecessor at ONDCP, Rahul Gupta, who was on the WADA executive committee two years ago and led the movement to reject the proposal. “And the next question you have to ask is: How are you going to enforce it? Are they going to post a red notice from Interpol? It’s ludicrous. It’s clear they have not thought this through.”
In a news release after this story published, WADA said the AP story was “entirely misleading,” focusing on Fitzgerald’s statement to the AP that if proposals being discussed were “introduced, given that the rules would not apply retroactively, the FIFA World Cup, LA and Salt Lake City Games (in 2034) would not be covered.”
Fitzgerald’s only answer to three emails from AP seeking clarification on his initial response — specifically about how a rule that had not yet been adopted could or couldn’t be applied retroactively on events that are scheduled for the future — was: “I’m trying to say that it would not apply retroactively so those events would not be covered. Given that and the next meeting of the Board being scheduled for November, I don’t see how it could come into play for this year’s World Cup.”
-AP
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The Confederation of African Football has dismissed Yasin Osman Robleh, the Djiboutian official who headed its judicial bodies for the past six years, in a move aimed at restoring confidence in the organisation’s disciplinary processes.
According to reports from convergence sources, the decision was confirmed on Saturday by CAF Secretary General Veron Mosengo-Omba, bringing an abrupt end to Robleh’s tenure overseeing the confederation’s disciplinary and investigative committees since 2019.
Robleh’s position reportedly came under increasing pressure following the controversy surrounding sanctions imposed after the Africa Cup of Nations Final between Morocco and Senegal. The disciplinary decisions that followed the match sparked criticism from several quarters and placed CAF’s legal framework under intense scrutiny.
In response to the situation, CAF’s Executive Committee has appointed Togolese lawyer Cedric Egai, currently the confederation’s Director of Legal Affairs, as interim head of the judicial bodies.
Egai is expected to stabilise the organisation’s legal arm while CAF works toward appointing a permanent successor to Robleh.
Disciplinary Decisions Delayed
The leadership change has already affected ongoing disciplinary processes within the confederation. CAF’s disciplinary committee reportedly held hearings last Thursday on several cases, including the high-profile encounter involving Egypt’s Al Ahly and Morocco’s AS FAR.
However, decisions on those matters have been temporarily put on hold pending the confirmation of new leadership within the judicial structure.
Sources indicate that once a permanent successor is appointed, CAF will move swiftly to conclude outstanding disciplinary rulings affecting both clubs and national teams.
Restoring Confidence
The move is widely seen as part of CAF’s effort to restore confidence in its judicial system following weeks of controversy surrounding disciplinary decisions at major competitions.
Robleh’s departure closes a significant chapter in CAF’s legal administration, while Egai’s interim appointment signals a potential shift in leadership and governance at a critical time for African football.
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