Qatar 2022: Accused of corruption, AFC members react

At the beginning of June, the British newspaper “Sunday Times” published an article on probable corruption of some African authorities of African Football Confederation (AFC) to support the Qatar for the 2022 World Cup Organization.-By Yves Didier Irakoze

Issa Hayatou, AFC Chairman ©Iwacu

“According to the British newspaper, a-gas- wealthy Emirate Authority paid bribery to almost chairpersons of African football federations to gain the support for the organization of the great sport event of the world,” mentioned the newspaper.
Over two years, from June 2008 to December 2010, a High Qatari Authority Mohamed Bin Hamman might have distributed several hundreds of thousands of dollars to continental football chairpersons. The main objective was to support the application of his country for the organization of the 2022World Cup. The news published on the site of the newspaper provides well known African names like Issa Hayatou, Jacques Anouma and George Weah. Then, the “Jeune Afrique” read carefully the investigation of their British colleagues and provides the following list:
Anjorin Moucharafou, the former Beninese football federation Chairman and member of AFC Executive Committee.
Lydia Nsekera, the former Chairwoman of Burundian federation and the first woman member of Executive Committee of FIFA.
General Seyi Memene, Deputy President of AFC, Seedy Kinteh, Gambian football Chairman, Saïd Belkhayat, the former Moroccan Royal Football federation Chairman, Issa Hayatou, AFC Cameroonian Chairman, Jacques Anouma, Chairman of Ivory Coast football federation and Amos Adamu, a Nigerian football federation Chairman.

The accused refute all the allegations against them

The AFC denounce the strategy of using the African sport movement and its leaders as scapegoats by those who want by all means to gain reliability and trust. Then, during the General Assembly held at Sao Paulo (Brazil), on June 9th, the AFC denounces those who are willing to tarnish the African image in football.
“Taking into account the repeated, deliberately hateful, defamatory, abusive and degrading attacks of some media such as the British media that undermine the image of the AFC integrity of its President, its members, association members and the African continent as a whole; declares to the present delegates, its entire support to all Africans unjustly incriminated and to the President of AFC, M. Issa Hayatou,” indicates the clauses of the meeting.
Concerning the manipulation that consists of letting know the international opinion that Africa has played an important role of voting Qatar to host and organize the 2022 World Cup2022 , he indicates that the choice was made by the voice majority of FIFA Executive Committee and that the African representatives during the vote were 3 out 22 voters. Issa Hayatou, AFC Chairman urges the AFC Executive Committee to take the British newspaper “Sunday Times” to court for denigration and false accusation against the African football authorities.