After the disaster of the Ahmad presidency, African football finds itself at a critical juncture goal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from goal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Senior Sports Editor
THE remaining hurdle in Patrice Motsepe’s path to the CAF presidency was cleared yesterday when the outgoing leader of African football, Ahmad Ahmad, failed to overturn the FIFA ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Although Ahmad received partial relief, with his ban being reduced from five to two years, and his fine also being slashed from US$200 000 to US$50 000, it won’t be enough to give him the muscle to force a postponement of the elections for his successor.
Had Ahmad been cleared of any wrong doing, he would have had the power to ask for a review of the decision by FIFA, to bar him from the contest, which was based on the world football governing body’s decision, to ban him from the game.
Last month, FIFA banned Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Ahmad, for five years after ruling that he had breached various codes of ethics. Reasons for the FIFA Vice-President’s sanction and why a second FIFA investigation is already under way have come to light.
Just minutes after being re-elected FIFA president for a second term in Paris in June 2019, Gianni Infantino made a triumphant declaration before the world’s assembled football leaders.
“Nobody talks about crisis at FIFA any more,” he said, referring to how FIFA’s corruption scan-dal had dominated when he took charge in 2016.
“Nobody talks about scandals or corruption. We talk about football [FIFA] is now synonymous with transparency and integrity.”
Mysterious money moves and an unholy mess why FIFA banned CAF president Ahmad herald.co.zw - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from herald.co.zw Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.