Somalia FA President Suspended Over Corruption

The National Executive Committee of Somalia Football Federation (SFF) has suspended its president Abdiqani Said Arab over corruption allegations.

A Somali media outlet Radio Daslan said the decision was taken after Abdiqani failed to take adequate steps to address corruption issues.

Abdiqani was reported to have been directly involved in misappropriation of funds meant for several FIFA projects in Mogadishu and Kismayo.

SFF has moved on and announced the appointment of Ali Abdi Mohamed as the Association’s acting president.

Mohammed will reportedly act as the president until the association conducts fresh presidential elections.

Neither the sports minister’s office nor the Somalia National Olympic Committee could be reached for confirmation or comment.

Abdiqani was re-elected unopposed in July 2018 and his mandate was to see him in office until the end of 2022.

He was first elected President of the Somalia Football Federation in 2014 after almost a decade as the Secretary General.

During his first term, Abdiqani’s development programmes for Somalia FA were widely hailed culminating in him being crowned as the African Football leader of the year 2015 at the Caf Glo awards ceremony in Abuja.