Two months after Fifa slammed a three-year ban on its Nigerian executive committee member Amos Adamu and his Tahiti accomplice Reynald Temarii, who got only a year ban, both men  have formally appealed against the suspensions imposed on them after corruption allegations.

Adamu Amos

Dr. Adamu was banned for three years after he was caught seeking bribes from undercover reporters while Temarii, from Tahiti, was cleared of corruption but received a one-year ban for breaching confidentiality rules. Both deny any wrongdoing.

Football’s world governing body will have fixed February 2-3 to hear their appeals. Both men were barred from voting on who should host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in December.

Fifa’s Independent Appeals Committee, chaired by Bermuda Football Association president Larry Mussenden, will hear their cases.
Temarii claimed on January 13 to have received a letter from Fifa on 30 December in which he was “cleared [of] all corruption allegations”.

He added: “The ethics committee have accused me of breaching Fifa confidentiality and loyalty, with which I totally disagree.
“I hope a meeting, possibly next month, will see Fifa’s appeals committee realise I have not breached any articles within the code of ethics, nor did have the intention to.”

Adamu too also hopes he would be exonerated within weeks, clearing him to stand for re-election. This has prompted the Nigeria Football Association, NFA to submit his name to CAF for the Februry 23 Executive Committee election, after the initial submission of Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima’s name for the same purpose.

The Confederation for African Football (Caf) has its annual assembly on 23 February in Khartoum, Sudan, where it will choose two of its four delegates to the 24-member Fifa ruling body. Adamu is listed as a candidate pending his appeal. Fifa says three more officials – former executive members Slim Aloulou, Amadou Diakite and Ahongalu Fusimalohi – will also have appeals against corruption suspensions heard on 2-3 February.