Banned FIFA Executive Committee member to take case to CAS

By Andrew Warshaw

Febuary 7 – Amos Adamu, one of the two FIFA powerbrokers banned over the World Cup cash-for-votes scandal, is to take his case all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after an Appeals Committee upheld the three-year sanction against him.

The Nigerian was handed the original punishment by the organisation’s ethics committee in November following an undercover sting in the Sunday Times newspaper that heaped embarrassment on football’s world governing body.

“I am extremely disappointed by the findings of the FIFA appeals committee as announced,” said Adamu who was barred along with fellow FIFA Executive Committee member Reynald Temarii, suspended for a year for breaching FIFA’s confidentiality rules and subsequently replaced as head of the Oceania confederation.

Neither member was permitted to take part in the voting for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, won by Russia and Qatar respectively.

“It had been my hope that the appeals committee would completely exonerate me and restore Nigeria’s representation on the international football stage. Sadly this has not proved to be the case,” said Adamu.

“My next step will be to appeal this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and I am currently taking legal advice in this regard and cannot comment further on this process.

“I count myself lucky to enjoy the support of my colleagues in Nigeria who have committed to support me in clearing my name.”

Although Adamu, 58, became the first FIFA member ever to be banned for seeking bribes, the Sunday Times’ investigation was criticised by Ethics Committee chairman Claudio Sulser as “sensationalist”, and England’s 2018 World Cup bid team admitted the furore had damaged their bid.

Adamu had been desperate to re-contest his position on the FIFA Executive Committee when the Confederation of African Football (CAF) holds elections later this month, choosing two of its four delegates to the 24-member FIFA body.

But it now seems almost impossible for Adamu, who had expected to be acquitted by the FIFA Appeals Committee, to stay in power given the time scale.

In his enforced absence, his compatriot and former Nigeria Football Federation President Ibrahim Galadima is expected to run.

The other seat up for grabs is that of Cote d’Ivoire’s Jacques Anouma, who is also standing for re-election.

He, as well as Galadima, will be up against Danny Jordaan – who organised last year’s World Cup in South Africa – former African Footballer of the Year Kalusha Bwalya of Zambia, Mohamed Raouraoua of Algeria and Suketu Patel from the Seychelles.

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