By Andrew Warshaw
February 4 – The two disgraced members of FIFA’s all-powerful Executive Committee today lost their respective appeals against being suspended as part of the infamous cash-for-votes World Cup scandal.
Nigeria’s Amos Adamu, 58, and Raynald Temarii, 43, of Tahiti were both confident of clearing their names at a hearing in Zurich.
But FIFA’s Appeals Committee upheld Adamu’s three-year ban for seeking bribes during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding races, meaning he will not be allowed to stand for re-election when the African Football Confederation (CAF) holds is annual congress later this month.
Reynald Temarii, who was a FIFA vice-president, also lost his appeal, this time against a one-year ban for breaking FIFA confidentiality rules.
He has already been replaced as head of the Oceania confederation by Papua Guinea’s David Chung, who has also taken his place on the Executive Committee.
Adamu’s replacement is due to be chosen by the Confederation of African Football in·Khartoum on Feb. 23 when another of the continent’s four executive committee members, Jacques Anouma of·Ivory Coast, must seek re-election.
Adamu’s Nigerian compatriot Ibrahim Galadima is expected to stand as a candidate. Also bidding for a place are·Danny Jordaan of South Africa, who was the chief organiser of last year’s World Cup, and former African Footballer of the Year Kalusha Bwalya of·Zambia.
FIFA’s appeals panel partially upheld appeals by three former Executive Committee members – Slim Aloulou, Amadou Diakité and Ahongalu Fusimalohi – who had their bans from all football duty reduced by one year each.
It seemed inconceivable, in order to preserve its credibility, that FIFA would uphold the appeals of Adamu and Temarii, both of whom were banned from voting at the World Cup ballot in December.
Temarii’s lawyer Geraldine Lesieur said he would file an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
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