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.
World football governing body, FIFA, today clocks its 122nd anniversary, celebrating more than a century of overseeing and expanding the global game.
Founded on May 21, 1904, in Paris, France, FIFA began with just seven member associations — France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
From that modest beginning, the organisation has grown into the most influential sports governing body in the world, with 211 member associations spread across all continents.
Over the decades, FIFA has transformed football into a truly global phenomenon through competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Club World Cup, youth tournaments, and developmental programmes aimed at growing the game worldwide.
The organisation has also witnessed remarkable milestones, including the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 13 teams in 1930 to 48 teams beginning from the 2026 edition to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA’s journey has equally reflected football’s growing influence beyond sport, with the game becoming a major tool for diplomacy, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and economic development across the world.
As FIFA celebrates 122 years of existence, attention is now focused on the future of the game, technological innovations, expanded competitions, women’s football growth, and the continued globalisation of football.
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UEFA has issued a lifetime ban to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women’s soccer coach who secretly filmed his players, the governing body announced on Tuesday.
Czech media reported that the coach was convicted in May 2025 and initially received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban for filming FC Slovacko’s players in changing rooms, the youngest of whom was 17.
In a statement, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky “from exercising any football-related activity for life” following the appointment of an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of potential misconduct.
“The CEDB further decided to request FIFA to extend the abovementioned ban on a worldwide level and to order the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Mr Petr Vlachovsky’s coaching licence,” the statement added.
FC Slovacko did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Football players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA’s request for world soccer governing body FIFA to impose an international ban on Vlachovsky.
“This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no place in football and that safeguarding the well-being of players must remain a priority at every level of the game,” FIFPRO added in a statement.
Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women’s Under-19s team.
RELATED STORY: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2026/04/08/outrage-as-male-coach-who-secretly-filmed-women-players-still-free-to-work-in-football/
-Reuters
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Southampton have been kicked out of the Championship playoff final after being found guilty of spying on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, the English Football League said on Tuesday.
Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 to Southampton on aggregate in the semi, have been reinstated and will face Hull City on Saturday in what is dubbed the world’s richest soccer match.
Promotion to the Premier League, even with an immediate relegation, is estimated to be worth in the region of 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons.
Southampton, who admitted the charges, were also found guilty of filming training sessions involving Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April during the regular season.
They have also been deducted four points from the start of next season in England’s second tier.
“An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Championship play-offs after the club admitted multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training,” the EFL said.
“Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring Clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match.
“The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 play-offs and will proceed to the play-off final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.”
The EFL confirmed that Southampton could appeal against the decision and that “parties are working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May.
“Subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday’s fixture,” the statement said.
‘BORO CALLED FOR SOUTHAMPTON EXPULSION
Middlesbrough had called for Southampton’s expulsion after having a training session at their Rockliffe Park site filmed 48 hours ahead of the first leg of their playoff semi-final with Southampton which ended 0-0.
The north-east club said they welcomed the decision.
“We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct,” the north Middlesbrough said in a statement.
“As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.”
Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season and were struggling in the early part of this campaign until a storming finish in which they went unbeaten in 19 league games to finish fourth and enter the playoffs.
The south-coast club are the first to fall foul of the Football League’s regulation 127 — brought in after Leeds United were found guilty of spying on Derby County seven years ago, an offence for which they were fined 200,000 pounds.
-Reuters
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