By Paul Nicholson
November 15 – More than £2.37 million has been paid to 17 Confederation of African Football (CAF) executive committee members since Ahmad took over the presidency of the regional body in 2017.
The figures, seen by Insideworldfootball and verified by a former CAF finance director (see linked document), show Congo’s Constant Omari as the highest earner for his CAF work with $201,520.
Second highest is Djibouti’s Suleiman Waberi who collected $183,616, while Morocco’s headbutting president (see Moroccan FA president Fouzi Lekjaa lives to fight another day at CAF) Fouzi Lekjaa managed to load up with $169,825.
CAF Executive members – financial income from CAF – from Elections till November 2018
South Africa’s sometimes loved but more often controversial Danny Jordaan picked up a more modest $147,100, while former Egyptian FA boss Hany Abou Rida (now under FIFA investigation) received
Committee members receive an annual stipend of $60,000 (senior vice president appear to receive $70,000), plus daily allowances for other CAF functions and events.
These figures do not take into account travel or hotel costs that will be picked up by the confederation.
The release of the scale of the payments into the public domain will come at an embarrassing time for CAF which – under FIFA’s guidance – is battling to change its commercial representation partner but has created a situation that is threatening its broadcast and sponsor relationships.
See Osasu Obayiuwana: Has CAF cut its own safety net with its financial tightrope walk?
No-one is suggesting that executive committee members should go un-remunerated, but questions will be asked of the size of payments to individuals on a committee that has effectively abdicated control and management of its own affairs to FIFA’s executive.
In a continent desperate for managed development resource and where players frequently go unpaid, Africa’s leaders have even more integrity questions to answer.
Liberia’s Musa Bility, who has been banned by FIFA but in another case is taking CAF and FIFA to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for what he says is an illegal takeover of CAF by FIFA, was paid a more modest $123,600.
CAF and FIFA refused to accept Bility’s complaint at CAS and so he has picked their CAS cost in order for it to proceed. At this point that looks like money well spent in African football’s cause.
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