Ahmad Ahmad
25 November 2020
FIFA on Monday banned Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Ahmad Ahmad for five years for financial misconduct. His misappropriation of funds included a pilgrimage to Mecca. For the Umrah pilgrimage eighteen people, including Ahmad, were paid 100,000.
Ahmad’s ban came about at a time when he was in the midst of a campaign to be reelected for a second four-year term as the head of his continent’s confederation.
By virtue of being the president of CAF, one automatically becomes a FIFA Vice President. Ahmad also looses his Vice presidency in FIFA.
He, 60-year-old Madagascan, was fined $220,000 for the Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca and his involvement in dealings with the sports equipment company Tactical Steel and other activities. He was formerly a government official in Madagascar.
Ahmad’s first four-year term was shadowed by allegations of financial irregularities and misconduct at the CAF headquarters in Cairo.
He was once arrested by French authorities in Paris on the eve of the Women’s World Cup for questioning about a CAF equipment deal with a company that did not have any connection with football.
When FIFA took over running of CAF, it ordered the audit of the organizations finances. Several irregularities were found under Ahmad’s leadership.
dw.com reported
