African soccer official banned for embezzling funds

ONE of the leading figures in African football – and an arch-critic of FIFA president Sepp Blatter - has been banned from football-related activity for 10 years for embezzling FIFA funds.

Farah Addo, a former vice-president of the African Football Confederation (CAF) and head of the Somali FA, is understood to have siphoned off £500,000 from money given to help grass-roots football in his country.

It is the first time in FIFA’s history that such a ban has been imposed and Addo has also been ordered to pay a £20,000 fine and £20,000 costs.

Ironically, in 2002 Addo alleged he had been offered money by Blatter’s supporters to switch votes in the 1998 FIFA presidential elections - Blatter won a court injunction preventing him from repeating the claims. FIFA also instructed the Somali FA to take all necessary steps to recoup the cash.