CAF President Ahmad to appeal FIFA ban at CAS

Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Dr. Ahmad Ahmad has confirmed he will appeal his five-year ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

On Monday, Dr. Ahmad was sanctioned by the FIFA Ethics Committee for ethics breaches including the mismanagement of funds during his turbulent four-year term at the helm of CAF.

In a press statement issued by his legal team and published on Ahmad's Twitter feed, the Madagascan official claimed the FIFA Ethics Committee expedited the sanction to prevent him from being re-elected President of the African body.

Ahmad, found guilty by FIFA of breaching his duty of loyalty, offering gifts and other benefits, mismanaging funds and abusing his position as the CAF President, is requesting the CAS to stay the decision to ban him for five years "so as not to aggravate the prejudice he is suffering, and allow him to campaign for his re-election", the statement said.

The FIFA vice-president is bidding for a second term but could be ruled ineligible based on the decision from the FIFA Ethics Committee, which he claims was "not rendered in a fair and impartial manner.”

Ahmad claims the ethics probe has been full of "irregularities" and that leaks relating to his case have been "systematically unfavourable" to him, "preventing...a serene investigation from taking place.”

His first four-year term as CAF President had been clouded by allegations of financial wrongdoing and other ethics breaches, prompting FIFA to launch a probe into his conduct.

The investigation "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.”