Tag: FIFA

Stung by the revelations of the Sunday Times, FIFA moved into damage control mode on Wednesday. The world body provisionally suspended executive committee members Amos Adamu of Nigeria and Reynald Temarii from Tahiti and four other officials as it investigates the World Cup vote-selling scandal.

A second official from Tahiti, Ahongalu Fusimalohi, is among the four former executive committee members also targeted by the probe. The other men, regrettably, are all Africans: Slim Aloulou (Tunisia), Amadou Diakite (Mali), and Ismael Bhamjee (Botswana). A reminder of how poor governance continues to hinder the progress of African football. And at a time of catastrophic corporate scandals on a planetary scale, this latest mess in Zurich demonstrates again how global sport, business, and politics are inextricably linked.

FIFA’s ethics panel (sic!) is moving quickly with the investigation to limit the negative publicity and to ensure that selection of the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments goes ahead as planned on December 2.

Read full article here.

Over the years, FIFA’s multibillion dollar revenues have had virtually no impact on grassroots football in Africa, Asia, Central and South America. One of the main reasons is that football development programs are often little more than a cover for corruption and bribery. As muckraker Andrew Jennings demonstrated in his book Foul! The Secret World of FIFA: Bribes, Vote-rigging and Ticket Scandals, FIFA vice-president Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago mastered the art of pocketing millions in just this way. The GOAL program in Africa has had similar outcomes.

Now investigative reporting by the Sunday Times of London gives us video recordings of two FIFA executive committee members — Reynald Temarii (Tahiti), president of the Oceania Football Confederation, and Amos Adamu from Nigeria — demanding bribes from two reporters posing as American businessmen in exchange for votes in support of the US bid to host the 2018 World Cup. (The US has since withdrawn its 2018 bid to focus on 2022.)

Temarii allegedly asked for £1.3 million and Adamu £500,000 with half to be paid upfront for a ‘personal project’. (Read article here.)

How did The Times reporters know how to ‘work’ the system? FIFA insiders like Amadou Diakite (Mali) of the referees’ committee told them to offer bribes of around $1 million. Diakite also suggested ‘Leaving the member to decide what he is going to do with the amount is the safest way to get his vote’.

FIFA stated it will study the allegation. We’ll be holding our breath.