CAF president Ahmad given five-year ban for breaching FIFA ethics code

Ahmad Ahmad, the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), has been banned for five years by FIFA after being found guilty of breaching ethics codes.

The 60-year-old, who is also a FIFA vice-president, had been investigated for his conduct during the period from 2017 to 2019.

FIFA’s adjudicatory chamber said Ahmad had breached rules relating to duty of loyalty, offering and accepting gifts or other benefits, abuse of position and misappropriation of funds.

Ahmad has been banned from all football-related activity for five years and fined CHF 200,000.

FIFA said in a statement on Monday: “The investigation into Mr Ahmad’s conduct in his position as CAF president during the period from 2017 to 2019 concerned various CAF-related governance issues, including the organisation and financing of an Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca, his involvement in CAF’s dealings with the sports equipment company Tactical Steel and other activities.

“In its decision, following an extensive hearing, the adjudicatory chamber ruled that, based on information gathered by the investigatory chamber, Mr Ahmad had breached his duty of loyalty, offered gifts and other benefits, mismanaged funds and abused his position as the CAF president, pursuant to the FIFA Code of Ethics.

“Consequently, the adjudicatory chamber found that Mr Ahmad had breached arts 15, 20 and 25 of the current edition of the FIFA Code of Ethics, as well as art. 28 of the 2018 edition, and sanctioned him with a ban from all football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level for five years. In addition, a fine in the amount of CHF 200,000 has been imposed on Mr Ahmad.”