CAF president Ahmad Ahmad handed five-year ban for corruption

The president of the Confederation of African Football, CAF, Ahmad Ahmad, has been banned from football for five years by FIFA following an ethics investigation by world soccer’s governing body.

Ahmad had intended to stand in an election in March in which he would have faced a number of challengers.

FIFA said in a statement the independent Ethics Committee has found Ahmad guilty of offering and accepting gifts and other benefits, and misappropriation of funds.

FIFA had “sanctioned him with a ban from all football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level for five years,” it said.

It also fined him 200,000 Swiss francs ($200,000). Ahmad declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

Former CAF General Secretary Amr Fahmy, who died earlier this year from cancer, had been dismissed after he made corruption allegations against Ahmad last year in a document sent to FIFA.

The document, sent on March 31, 2019, by Fahmy to a FIFA investigations committee and seen by Reuters among other offences, accused Ahmad of ordering his Secretary-General to pay $20,000 bribes into accounts of African football association presidents. They included Cape Verde and Tanzania.