Fifa has served former Caf president Issa Hayatou a one-year ban from all football-related activities for flouting ‘ethics code’.

The Cameroonian football administrator served as Confederation of African Football (CAF) president for 29 years until he was dethrone by Ahmad Ahmad.

Ahmad is now serving a two-year ban after an investigation of financial wrongdoing by the FIFA ethics committee. That case ended his candidacy to stand for a second term.

According to FIFA, the 74 years old was found guilty for getting involved in the Lagardere Sports deal over the media and marketing rights of competitions organized by Caf while he was president of the African football ruling body.

Aside from the ban, the Cameroonian was hit with a fine of thirty thousand Swiss Franc (CHF 30,000).
According to the adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee, the former interim Fifa boss breached article 15 (Duty of Loyalty) of the Fifa Code of Ethics.

“The investigation into Mr Hayatou’s conduct in his position as Caf president concerned his involvement in the negotiation, conclusion and signature of the memorandum of understanding and contractual agreement for the commercialization of media and marketing rights of competitions organized by Caf with the company Lagardere Sports between 2014 and 2017,” a statement from Fifa website read.

“Based on information gathered by the investigatory chamber, Mr Hayatou had breached his duty of loyalty in his position as Caf president, by entering, in the name and on behalf of the confederation, into an anti-competitive agreement with Lagardere Sport which was detrimental and caused significant damage to Caf (both financially, in the amount of EGP 200 million, as well as to its reputation).

“Consequently, the adjudicatory chamber found that Mr Hayatou had breached article 15 of the current edition of the Fifa Code of Ethics and sanctioned him with a ban from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at both national and international level (administrative, sports or any other) for one year.”

It was unclear if the FIFA ban will affect Hayatou’s honorary membership of the International Olympic Committee. He got honorary status after his 15-year membership ended in 2016.

His suspension from any kind of football-related activity at both national and international level, takes effect from August 3.