January 20 – Citing health reasons and a lack of support from the local sports ministry, Mamatou Touré of Mali will not seek re-election for the FIFA Council, the embattled football official confirmed.
A FIFA Council member and member of the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Touré has headed Mali’s FA (Femafoot) since 2019, but he was arrested last year on accusations of embezzling funds during his time as a financial and administrative director in Mali’s National Assembly.
He has denied the allegations and was even re-elected for a second term as Femafoot chairman. CAF boss Patrice Motsepe engaged with Malian authorities to try and get Touré released from jail.
Last May, The Times reported that Touré had dialled in from prison to attend a FIFA Council meeting. He remains behind bars as he awaits trial, but pointing to his health and lack of support from Mali’s sports ministry, Touré has decided not to stand in the elections for the CAF executive committee and the FIFA Council.
In a statement, Touré wrote: “Since August 9, 2023, I have been faced with a complex and particularly unfair judicial situation that has deeply affected my personal and professional life. These 17 months of detention, without the possibility of benefitting from provisional release, have prevented me from fully investing myself in my duties and in preparing for the renewal of my mandate in the FIFA Council.”
He added: “This carefully considered decision was not easy to make. But it demonstrates my desire to make way for a peaceful future and fully operational governance, in the best interests of our institution and the values we share together.”
In March, the CAF Congress in Cairo will elect new members to the executive committee as well as African representatives for the FIFA Council.
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