Fifa officials appeal against suspensions

Football’s world governing body, Fifa, has started hearing appeals by six officials suspended for alleged corruption relating to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids.

The hearings, scheduled to last two days, are being held at Fifa headquarters in Zurich.

The suspensions followed revelations in October by the British Sunday Times which alleged officials had been caught on film accepting bribes from reporters posing as lobbyists.

Fifa’s ethics committee handed executive committee member Amos Admau of Nigeria a three-year suspension from all football activity for seeking bribes for votes.

Reynald Temarii of Tahiti, although cleared of corruption, was suspended for one year for breaching Fifa’s loyalty and confidentiality rules.

Both members were barred from the December vote which nominated Russia and Qatar as host nations for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup events.

Three other members of Fifa’s ruling body – Slim Aloulou of Tunisia, Amadou Diakite of Mali and Ahongalu Fusimalohi of Tonga – are appealing against bans of between two and three years for having broken general conduct and loyalty rules. A sixth official, Botswana’s Ismail Bhamjee, has not appealed against his four-year ban.