By Andrew Warshaw
July 19 – World football’s governing body has been plunged into yet more infamy with the revelation that two suspended African powerbrokers are still involved in the game despite being barred from all footballing activities.
FIFA have written to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) asking for an explanation as to why former Executive Committee members Slim Aloulou (pictured), of Tunisia, and Amadou Diakité, of Mali, are still operating as members of the confederation in violation of their bans.
Aloulou and Diakité were among six officials banned by FIFA’s Ethics Committee last November for their alleged role in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process – only to be named seven months later in a list of appointments for various high-profile CAF committees.
The appointments, starting last month and valid for two years, were apparently contained in a letter emailed to the CAF Executive Committee.
Calls to CAF’s communications department were met with a voicemail message but FIFA confirmed that CAF, whose president Issa Hayatou (pictured) is himself being investigated by the International Olympic Committee’s Ethics Commission, had been requested to remove the names of the two banned officials from their respective Committee positions.
A FIFA statement attempted to play down the issue by suggesting neither Aloulou nor Diakité – barred for one and two years respectively on appeal after initially being hit with one more year each for unethical conduct – were actually serving members of CAF.
“FIFA has received confirmation from CAF that CAF fully respects the ruling and that Slim Aloulou and Amadou Diakité are not taking part in any football related matter,” the statement said.
But the next part of the wording made it clear there had been a flagrant breach of the rules.
“FIFA has asked CAF to ensure that, during the period of their suspension, the names of Slim Aloulou and Amadou Diakité are not published in any CAF committee list or, alternatively, are marked as ‘banned from taking part in any football-related activity’ on such lists during this period.”
The new revelations, first disclosed by highly respected African journalist Osasu Obayiuwana in a Nigerian newspaper, will heap even more embarrassment on FIFA just days before the Ethics Committee’s eagerly awaited full hearing into suspended Asian Football Confederation chief Mohamed Bin Hammam.
Although Bin Hammam vehemently denies the bribery allegations against him, he is widely expected to be banned for life as first reported by insideworldfootball.
Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1734838051labto1734838051ofdlr1734838051owedi1734838051sni@w1734838051ahsra1734838051w.wer1734838051dna1734838051