FIFA bans former Afghan general secretary in sexual abuse inquiry

In further fallout from a sexual abuse scandal, Afghanistan’s top football official was banned for five years on Friday after failing to act on allegations made by women’s national team players. FIFA said Sayed Aghazada will be removed from the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) executive committee just months after he was elected. He was also fined 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,000). “(Aghazada) was aware of this abuse and had the duty to report and prevent it,” FIFA said, adding that other officials are still being investigated.

As general secretary of the Afghanistan football federation, Aghazada worked with its now disgraced president Keramuudin Karim. Afghanistan women’s national team players had accused federation officials of sexual abuse and cover-ups for several years. FIFA banned Karim for life in June after he was accused by several players of “repeated sexual abuse”. He was also fined 1 million Swiss francs ($1 million).

Afghan judicial authorities and FIFA announced investigations last year when players went public with allegations, seeming frustrated with the pace of previously confidential inquiries.

Aghazada was elected in April to a four-year term on AFC’s ruling committee despite the Afghan football body being subject to ongoing investigations. Before the elections, former FIFA vice-president Prince Ali of Jordan had called on Afghan candidates to be barred while implicated.