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Manchester City secured a last-16 spot in the Champions League but failed to turn their complete dominance into more than a 1-0 win over Olympiacos.

Eager to put Saturday's 2-0 Premier League loss to Tottenham behind them, Pep Guardiola's side controlled proceedings in Wednesday's Group C clash in Athens.

But they had only one goal to show for it as Phil Foden, who wowed for England during the international break, swept the visitors into a first-half lead that never came under threat from the toothless hosts.

Guardiola, who signed a new contract last week, saw his side frustrated by a combination of profligate finishing and fine goalkeeping from Jose Sa.

City, who scored nine goals across their opening three group games, were quickly on the front foot and Foden stung the palms of Sa with a low drive, with the goalkeeper also gathering a Gabriel Jesus header.

Jesus came far closer to breaking the deadlock on the half-hour mark, racing in behind before seeing his shot blocked away by the defiant Sa.

The opener finally arrived in the 36th minute, Foden converting from Raheem Sterling's back-heeled assist after City's slick play had Olympiacos chasing shadows.

Sterling had the busy Sa scrambling across his line to repel a dipping free-kick in first-half stoppage time, with City denied again after the interval as Ilkay Gundogan's effort flashed wide and Joao Cancelo's flick was saved.

Olympiacos were simply not able to apply any pressure – their first shot did not arrive until the 88th minute – leaving City to coast to a win that was brightened further by the late introduction of Sergio Aguero from the bench after an injury lay-off.

What does it mean? City's welcome top-flight distraction

The loss at Spurs left City with just 12 points from eight matches and in the unfamiliar territory of the Premier League's bottom half.

This result was a tonic to those domestic woes and it affords Guardiola the chance to make some changes for the remaining two group games, knowing safe passage to the knockout phase is assured.

For Olympiacos, while second spot is still up for grabs, a third-place finish and a berth in the Europa League might be a more likely prospect.

Foden shines bright

Foden scored twice for his country in an eye-catching display against Iceland in which he also showcased some dazzling skills.

He was lively in Greece too, keeping his cool to score what proved to be the winner with one of his six shots, while also creating four chances.

Sa under siege

City had 11 shots on target, seven coming during a first half in which the hosts failed to even register a touch in City's penalty area, so Sa was indeed a busy man.

He was an excellent last line of defence but his all-action outing stood in stark contrast to the anonymous performance of the Olympiacos attack.

Konstantinos Fortounis had just 53 touches and not one of them was a shot on target.

What's next?

City host Burnley this weekend before a trip to Porto next Tuesday, while for Olympiacos it is a top-of-the-table clash at Aris before heading to Marseille on the European stage.

Naples mayor Luigi De Magistris has urged Napoli to rename their San Paolo home after late club idol Diego Maradona. 

Maradona threw the world of football into mourning on Wednesday when he passed away after suffering a heart attack. 

The Argentina legend, 60, had suffered from ill-health since the start of November, and had been forced to undergo a procedure to remove a blood clot from his brain earlier in the month. 

News of his passing led to an outpouring of tributes from across the planet, but it was most keenly felt in his native Argentina and in Naples, where he starred from 1984-91 as a player. 

And as well as Napoli, De Magistris called on his city to bestow an exceptional honour on one of its favourite adopted sons. 

"We will name the Stadio San Paolo in honour of Diego Armando Maradona!" the official stated on his official Twitter account on Wednesday. 

"Diego Armando Maradona, the greatest footballer of all time, Diego has died. 

"He made our people dream, he redeemed Naples with his genius. 

"In 2017 Diego became our citizen of honour, Neapolitan and Argentine, you gave us joy and happiness. Naples loves you!"

Maradona first arrived in southern Italy in the summer of 1984 following the end of his turbulent spell at Barcelona. 

He made an immediate impact in his first season, netting 14 Serie A goals to finish behind Michel Platini and Alessandro Altobelli as the league's top scorers as Napoli finished in eighth. 

Even better was to come, though, as in 1986-87 the newly crowned world champion led Napoli to their first-ever Scudetto triumph, a feat the club repeated in 1989-90. 

In total the Argentine spent six full seasons at the club, leaving part-way through his seventh after testing positive for cocaine and receiving a worldwide ban on footballing activities. 

He played a total of 259 games for Napoli, scoring 115 goals, and he continues to be acclaimed as an idol at the side with his face appearing in murals across Naples almost 30 years after departing.

Bloemfontein Celtic secured a 1-0 win over Black Leopards in a Premier Soccer League (PSL) match which was played at Dr Molemela Stadium on Wednesday night.

Ndumiso Mabena was the hero for Phunya Sele Sele as his second-half goal inspired the Free State giants to a victory over Lidoda Duvha in the City of Roses. 

Phunya Sele Sele were desperate to record their maiden victory of the season in the league after succumbing to a 4-2 defeat to Cape Town City on Sunday. 

Coach John Maduka rewarded Menzi Masuku with a starting berth after the former Orlando Pirates attacking midfielder came off the bench to score against City.

Meanwhile, Lidoda Duvha were brimming with confidence after they secured their maiden win of the campaign when they edged out Maritzburg United 1-0 on Saturday.

Coach Dylan Kerr, who had marked his return to Leopards with a win over Maritzburg, unsurprisingly named an unchanged team as he opted for consistency in his team selection.

However, Celtic dominated the match from the start with Mabena and Tebogo Potsane combining well for the home side in the final third.

Mabena played a long ball to Potsane, who controlled the ball well down the left-hand side, before placing his effort just over the crossbar from the edge of the box.

Potsane was then sent through on goal by Mabena, but the diminutive winger was brilliantly denied by on-rushing Leopards goalkeeper King Ndlovu.

The Lidoda Duvha defence was finding it difficult to contain Potsane, who was proving quite a handful on the left-hand side with Ethan Sampson struggling to contain him.

Potsane set-up Victor Letsoalo with a cut-back pass, but the striker fired wide of the target as the home side continued to waste their goalscoring opportunities.

The last chance of the first-half fell for none other than Potsane, who found himself in a one-on-one situation with Ndlovu after running onto Mabena's long ball.

The 27-year-old was let down by some poor finishing as he ballooned his effort over the crossbar from close range and the score was 0-0 at the interval.

Celtic continued their dominance after the restart and they finally broke the deadlock after Potsane and his partner-in-crime Mabena combined. 

Potsane set-up Mabena, who made no mistake as the former Pirates marksman beat Ndlovu with a good finish to make it 1-0 to Celtic nine minutes after the restart.

Kerr then introduced central midfielders Wiseman Maluleke and Andriamirado 'Dax' Andrianarimanana as the visitors looked to gain control of the match and restore parity.

Maduka reacted by introducing attack-minded midfielder Tumelo Mangweni and both teams launched attacks in the closing stages of the encounter.

Ultimately, Celtic emerged 1-0 winners after containing Leopards, who were unable to seriously test Jackson Mabokgwane in the hosts' goalposts on the night.

The result sees Celtic move up to the 14th spot on the league standings, while Leopards dropped into the relegation play-off spot which is 15th place.

Celtic will now take on DR Congolese side AS Maniema Union in the Caf Confederation Cup on Sunday, while Leopards' next match is against Kaizer Chiefs on December 8.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Nick Mwendwa has led the country to mourn the sudden passing of Argentina legend Diego Maradona on Wednesday.

The Gimnasia coach, who had been hospitalised at the start of November, days after celebrating the landmark birthday, after complaining of a low spirit and fatigue, passed away at the age of 60 after suffering a heart attack.

Maradona had undergone surgery to remove a blood clot on the brain, which doctors later revealed was operated on successfully, and was subsequently released from the hospital as an outpatient to continue his convalescence, which he carried out in his dwelling in a private neighbourhood near Tigre, in northern Buenos Aires.

But on Wednesday morning he suffered cardiac arrest, and paramedics at the scene failed to revive him.

FKF boss Mwendwa has now led Kenyans to mourn the legend, alongside former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and top teams across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

FC Goa’s Juan Ferrando was disappointed with the last-minute goal his team conceded in their defeat to Mumbai City on Wednesday.

Ferrando did not want to speak about the performance of his team’s defence and instead praised his players for their effort on the pitch.

“It is difficult to know what happened. The real situation is that team worked a lot. We lost the game in the end. Our focus is now on the next game.”

Redeem Tlang made his debut for FC Goa but it quickly turned into a nightmare for him as well as for his team, In the 40th minute, he was given the marching orders by the referee for to a poor high-footed challenge on Hernan Santana.

Ferrando did not want to speak about the referee’s decision as he quipped, “I prefer not to speak about referees because everyone knows what is the level (of referees) here is.”

The Spanish coach suggested that he had no other option but to shift to his backup plan as soon as the team was reduced to 10 men but he mentioned that it was always going to be difficult to counter a team of Mumbai's calibre.

"It is difficult to play against a good team (with 10 men). Before the red card, it was a beautiful game with two teams trying to play football. After the red, it was necessary to go to plan ‘B’. The plan ‘B’ was good for a bit. It is difficult to talk about stats today. With 10 players it is difficult to play."

One point from the first two matches is not what Ferrando expected and he has said that his team will continue to work hard to get wins in the matches to come.

"It is not good. Our mentality is to win three points all the time. The most important thing is to continue working," said the FC Goa manager.

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers is hoping Wilfred Ndidi will be available for selection when they take on Zorya Luhansk as he is set to miss their Europa League game against Sporting Braga on Thursday night.

The Nigeria international has been on the sidelines since he suffered a groin injury against Burnley in September.

The midfielder has missed Leicester’s last 11 games, including their Premier League defeat to Liverpool on Sunday due to injury problems.

Although Foxes boss Rodgers admitted the 23-year-old is recovering well, he predicted the midfielder will not feature for his side until their Europa League game against Zorya in Ukraine on December 3.

“Timothy hasn’t travelled and we’ll see where he is for Monday,” Rodgers said in a pre-match press conference.

“Ndidi is progressing well and we’ll see where he is for the game in Ukraine. Soyuncu, we’ll see where he is in a few weeks.”

Ndidi has only made two Premier League appearances for Leicester City in the 2020-21 campaign due to the injury.

The midfielder has been a force to be reckoned with since his arrival at the King Power Stadium from Belgian First Division A side Genk in 2017.

Ndidi has made more than 130 appearances across all competitions for the Foxes and last season he was a consistent performer for his side as they qualified for the Europa League after finishing fifth in the Premier League. 

Leicester currently lead Group G of their Europa League table with nine points from three games and will hope to secure all three points against Braga to boost their chances of progressing in the competition.

Ndidi's injury also prevented him from featuring for Nigeria in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leone.

Lionel Messi expressed his sadness following the death of Argentina hero Diego Maradona.

It was confirmed on Wednesday that the World Cup winner had passed away after suffering a heart attack, prompting tributes to flood in from across the world.

Portugal icon and five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo was among those to grieve the loss of the "eternal genius" on social media.

Barcelona star Messi took to Instagram to hammer home the reminder that the legendary figure will never be forgotten.

"A very sad day for all Argentines and for football. He's left us but he hasn't gone, because Diego is eternal," he wrote alongside pictures of the two of them together.

"I'll keep all the great times I enjoyed with him and want to take the opportunity to send my deepest respects to all his family and friends. RIP."

Messi was long seen as the heir to Maradona's throne as the king of Argentine and indeed world football.

Even the former Napoli and Boca Juniors maverick highlighted Messi as his replacement in 2006, telling reporters: "I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi.

"Messi is the best player in the world, along with Ronaldinho. I see him as very similar to me... He's a leader and is offering lessons in beautiful football. He has something different to any other player in the world."

Messi followed in Maradona's footsteps by wearing the No. 10 jersey at Barcelona and then donned the same number for Argentina as well as the captain's armband. 

Messi played under Maradona when the latter spent two years as the coach of the Argentina national team.

He guided the Albiceleste to the 2010 World Cup, in which Messi scored four goals as the team's captain before they were eliminated by Germany at the quarter-finals stage.

But while Maradona led Argentina to World Cup success in 1986, Messi has been unable to claim the trophy with the national team despite scoring 71 times in 140 caps.

The closest Messi came to lifting the trophy was in 2014, when Argentina fell to Germany in extra-time in the final.

A late penalty goal helped Mumbai City clinch a win against FC Goa despite being the second-best side for the majority of the match.

The Islanders' head coach Sergio Lobera was happy to get the three points against his former club and was all praise for his players after the match ended. 

“The most important thing is to create chances and I am very happy and proud of my players because I think the substitutions were good and the players who came in from the bench, their attitude was amazing. We dominated the game, played well, created chances and finally, we scored. It is not easy. We dominated the game against NorthEast United with 10 players and I am very happy with these three points,” said Lobera after the game

The Spanish coach acknowledged that his team lost a lot of 50-50 challenges on multiple occasions during the game.

“In the last match, we dominated the game despite playing with 10 players. Today (Wednesday) we created more opportunities, we improved our level of play. We need to play quickly, there are a lot of stops during the game. It is not easy. Physically the team worked very well because it is a hard situation to work with such short pre-season. The players have given a big effort physically and I am happy with the attitude of the players. We need to improve.

“Sometimes it is not easy because when you have the possession of the ball you need to play faster. It is true we lost a lot of balls in 50-50 situations. We need to improve. We don't have much time in between games. We played four days ago and we played today again. I loved how the players played and all the players believe in our style of play, this is the most important thing.”

Former Kerala Blasters striker Bartholomew Ogbeche came on as a substitute in the 71st minute and was deployed behind Adam Le Fondre. Lobera explained why he chose to field Ogbeche in a new role.

“We needed more players to arrive in the box. I think Ogbeche arrived very well from the second line. We changed the full-backs to produce maximum crosses and finish those. We created a lot of chances with this kind of football. I am very happy with all the changes and Ogbeche played very well in that position and he understands very well what I want.”

The former Las Palmas boss also suggested that it is possible for Ogbeche and Le Fondre to start together but due to FC Goa’s style he was forced to keep the Nigerian on the bench in the beginning.

“It is possible. They can play together but today in this game, knowing how FC Goa play, I decided this option but it is possible to play them together,” said the Mumbai coach.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) masterminded a 1-0 win against Azam FC in a Mainland Premier League Wednesday encounter at Chamazi Sports Complex.

The win, from a goal scored by Deus Kaseke, was enough to propel Yanga to the top of the table with 28 points.

After a goalless first half of an end to end showdown at Chamazi, Kaseke broke the deadlock when he managed to beat Azam’s David Mapigano in the 49th minute for Yanga’s opener.

This was a match that Simba SC were eagerly watching and praying to end in a draw as a win from their game at hand was enough to take them to the top of the table.

Yanga have proven to be top title challengers this season as they look a renewed side in the hunt of a 28th Premier League crown. They drew 1-1 against archrivals Simba SC on November, a side that Azam are yet to meet this season.

Timu ya Wananchi are also the only side yet to lose a game in the campaign so far as Azam have recorded a second loss as well as Wekundu wa Msimbazi who will be in Caf Champions League action on November 29 against Plateau United of Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Kagera Sugar condemned Biashara United to 3-0 loss in the other match at Kaitaba Stadium in Kagera.

Erick Mwijage scored the opener in the 10th minute and the score remained 1-0 for the entire first half. The Sugar Millers scored another two goals in the second half to ensure they won three points and a clean sheet against Francis Baraza’s side.

Nassor Kapama struck in the 77th minute before the final goal was added two minutes later by Hassan Mwaterema.

Finally, Mwadui FC were condemned to a 4-3 loss by Gwambina FC in the third match of the day.

Jimson Stephen scored the opener for the debutants in the sixth minute before it was cancelled in the 15th minute by Herman Masenga. Jacob Masawe helped Gwambina regain the lead in the 26th minute only for Salum Chubi to score an equaliser for Mwadui in the 39th minute.

Gwambina yet again scored and took the lead in the last minute of the first half when Meshack Abraham found the back of the net.

Ismail Ally restored parity for Mwadui in the 62nd minute but Masawe scored the fourth for Gwambina as he earned a brace in a high-scoring encounter at Gwambina Stadium in Mwanza.

Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Toure, Didier Drogba and a host of other African football figures have paid tribute to late Diego Maradona.

The 1986 Fifa World Cup winner passed away at the age of 60 after suffering a heart attack.

The Gimnasia manager had been hospitalised in November, days after celebrating his landmark birthday, after complaining of a low spirit and fatigue. He subsequently underwent surgery to treat a serious subdural hematoma.

On Wednesday morning, however, Maradona suffered cardiac arrest, and paramedics at the scene failed to revive him.

Mikel Arteta says Nicolas Pepe has his ‘full support’ after his sending off at Leeds and says Thursday night’s Europa League tie against Molde will be the perfect time for Arsenal’s club record signing to bounce back.

Pepe was shown a red card early in the second half at Elland Road on Sunday for a head butt on Leeds midfielder Ezgjan Alioski, with Arteta labelling the winger’s actions as ‘unacceptable’ after the 0-0 draw.

But the Ivory Coast international has since apologised, both publicly and in private, and has flown with the squad to Norway for the clash against Molde and is expected to start ahead of his upcoming three-game Premier League ban.

And Arteta says the game will give Pepe the perfect opportunity to put what happened at Elland Road to bed.

“We have all had disappointments in our playing careers and obviously now we are frustrated because when you play against a team like Leeds for a long time with 10 men it makes a huge difference,” said the Arsenal boss.

“He had a really good reaction. The way he apologised, the way he understood his responsibility and hopefully tomorrow we can see the player we want to see have a good reaction and help his team.”

Pepe’s red card against Leeds added to what has so far been a frustrating season for a player bought for £72 million ($96m) from Lille in 2019.

It came on what was just his second Premier League start of the campaign and means he will now miss upcoming games against Wolves, Tottenham and Burnley.

Some suggested it could be the beginning of the end of his Arsenal career under Arteta, but the Spaniard is adamant that is not the case.

“No, absolutely no,” he said. “It’s not about that and I don’t like that type of statement.

“I will give Nico my full support all the time. He knows the things he has to improve, but as well we all know his qualities.

“He has some responsibility and I have some responsibility which is to get the best out of him, get the best position for him and the best areas for him to do what he can do with the ball.

“I can’t fault at all his effort and if you see any of his stats the way he is trying for the team, the way he is working, it’s the best since he’s been at the club.

“But there are certain aspects he can do better because he has the ability and that’s where I’m going to put the pressure on him to deliver what he can do.

“But to say it’s a threat for him to finish his career [at Arsenal], it’s not at all like that.”

Arteta added: “The club made a huge investment on him and people expect a lot from him because he has this quality.

“I said many times with the striker and attacking players that being consistent is the most difficult thing. When you have to create, unlock the door and score goals.

“But this is why he is here and he needs to embrace that challenge and go for it. And we have to provide the best possible scenarios for him to be able to do that.”

Brazil legend Pele has paid tribute to his "great friend" Diego Maradona after it was confirmed the Argentine icon had passed away.

The death of the former Napoli, Barcelona and Boca Juniors hero was confirmed on Wednesday following the news he had suffered a heart attack.

Pele and Maradona are hailed as two of the most talented stars to ever play the game and debate has long raged on regarding which was better.

And 80-year-old Pele says the world has lost an iconic figure in Maradona and says they will one day play football together in another realm. 

Pele wrote on Twitter: "What sad news. I lost a great friend and the world lost a legend. There is still much to be said, but for now, may God give strength to family members. One day, I hope we can play ball together in the sky."

Pele was not the only big name in Brazil to comment on the legendary figure's death.

Brazil's former president Lula was also among those to express his grief as he posted on Instagram a picture of the two together. Maradona was a big admirer of the Workers' Party's former leader.

He wrote in the caption: "Diego Armando Maradona was a football giant, for Argentina and for the whole world, a talent and a unique personality. His genius and passion on the field, his intensity in life and his commitment to Latin American sovereignty marked our time.

"On the field, Maradona was one of the biggest opponents, perhaps the biggest, that the Brazilian team has faced. Outside of sports rivalry, he was a great friend of Brazil, and I can only thank him for all his solidarity with popular causes and with the Brazilian people. Maradona will never be forgotten.⁣"

While Pele and Maradona continue to be hailed as true football geniuses, their places at the top of the world game have been taken by Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina maestro Lionel Messi.

The former echoed Pele's sentiments when he tweeted his own tribute to Maradona, insisting the world will never forget him.

"Today I say goodbye to a friend and the world says goodbye to an eternal genius. One of the best ever. An unparalleled magician," he wrote.

"He leaves too soon, but leaves a legacy without limits and a void that will never be filled. Rest in peace, ace. You will never be forgotten."

France striker and World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe also gave thanks to Maradona for everything he has done in the sport.  

"RIP Legend. You will stay in the history of football forever. Thanks you for all the pleasure you gave to the whole world," he said on Twitter.

Argentine football legend Diego Maradona has passed away at the age of 60 after suffering a heart attack. 

The Gimnasia coach had been hospitalised at the start of November, days after celebrating the landmark birthday, after complaining of low spirits and fatigue. 

Tests at the La Plata clinic revealed a blood clot on the brain, which doctors later revealed was operated on successfully. 

Maradona was subsequently released from hospital as an outpatient to continue his convalescence, which he carried out in his dwelling in a private neighbourhood near Tigre, northern Buenos Aires. 

But on Wednesday morning he suffered cardiac arrest, and paramedics at the scene failed to revive him. 

The Argentine national team's official Twitter account confirmed the news on Wednesday, paying tribute to one of the nation's favourite footballing sons. 

"You will be eternal in every heart of the football world," the message stated as it bade farewell to the superstar.

Argentina Football Association president Claudio Tapia also expressed his "deep grief" after learning the news.

Maradona began his professional career with Argentinos Juniors at the age of 16 and went on to be considered one of the greatest players ever to step onto a football field. 

The diminutive left-footed forward went on to represent Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys as a player, and the likes of Racing Club, Dorados, Gimnasia and the Argentina national team later as a coach. 

It was with the Albiceleste, though, that his name was immortalised. 

Diego was instrumental in taking Argentina to their second World Cup triumph in 1986, captaining the team that prevailed over West Germany in the final under the stewardship of Carlos Bilardo. 

He scored five goals over the course of the tournament to finish second behind England's Gary Lineker in the top scorer rankings, with the pair meeting in a quarter-final match which has entered the annals as perhaps the most iconic, and certainly most controversial, in the World Cup's 90-year history. 

The Argentina No. 10 scored twice to take down England in a 2-1 victory, the first goal scored with his infamous 'Hand of God' and the second after dribbling around several opponents in what would soon be dubbed the 'Goal of the Century'. 

Maradona also helped his nation reach a second consecutive World Cup final four years later, only to fall to West Germany. 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic only expects to be out for "one or two weeks" with his recently sustained injury and the AC Milan striker has given another strong indication he wants to make a Sweden comeback.

The in-form Ibrahimovic limped off with a hamstring issue after scoring twice as the Rossoneri beat Napoli 3-1 in the Serie A encounter on Sunday.

There were concerns the 39-year-old could be sidelined for a month, but he allayed those fears after being named Swedish Player of the Year for a 12th time.

Ibrahimovic said in an interview with Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet: "It's nothing serious. Only one or two weeks [out]."

The veteran recently hinted he is ready to end his international retirement by posting an image of himself in a Sweden jersey on social media, captioned: "Long time no see."

Sweden head coach Janne Andersson responded by saying the former Barcelona and Manchester United man must prove he wants to play for his country again before he considers recalling him.

Ibrahimovic again suggested he is keen for a return to the international stage ahead of the delayed Euro 2020 next year, having last represented his country at Euro 2016.

"Yes, I miss the national team. It is no secret," he said.

"I want to be in Friends Arena, I want it to be the Yellow Wall or what we now call it. You come out, you have the yellow shirt and you see that it is full... Do I miss it? Of course.

"The one who does not miss it - he has already ended his career. And I have not finished my career."

Ibrahimovic says he is not even considering when he might retire, having scored 20 goals in 24 Serie A matches since returning to the club in January.

"I'll keep going as long as I can make a difference, otherwise it's not fun,” he added. “I have to feel alive. In any case, I will continue as long as possible. As Mino [Raiola, his agent] says: 'squeeze the orange as long as you can.'"

Milan return to Serie A action on Sunday when they host Fiorentina at San Siro.

President of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) has appealed his five-year ban from football-related activities at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).

Fifa’s adjudicatory chamber of the Independent Ethics Committee found him guilty of abuse of office, misappropriation of funds and, offering gifts and other benefits as Caf president and Fifa vice-president.

In addition to the sanction, the Madagascan – who disclosed his intention to run for a second term in office - was also hit with a fine of 200,000 Swiss Francs.

According to a statement released by the Caf president’s team, the sentence was passed to prevent Ahmad from being re-elected to the presidency of Caf.

“On Tuesday 24 November 2020, Mr Ahmad Ahmad, President of Caf and vice-president of Fifa, announced that his counsels are filing an appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in order to firmly contest the sentence pronounced by the adjudication chamber of the Fifa Ethics Committee,” the statement read.

“A sanction of a five-year ban from exercising any activity related to football – at national and international level – as well as a fine of CHF 200,000 was pronounced by the Adjudicatory Chambers of the Ethics Committee on Monday 23 November 2020, against the President of Caf and Fifa Vice President, Mr Ahmad Ahmad.

“This decision was not rendered in a fair and impartial manner. During the months of the investigation conducted by the Investigatory Chamber of the Fifa Ethics Committee, headed by Mrs Maria Claudia Rojas, against the Confederation of African Football and its president, many surprising procedures have been noted.

“Thus, Fifa gave a mandate to the audit firm PwC to investigate the administration of African football, even though this firm had been working for Caf and under a mandate from the latter, thus creating a conflict of interest and a problem of obvious lack of impartiality.”

“In addition, rumours about the possible involvement of Fifa in the work of the Ethics Committee have constantly resounded in the European and African press. Leaks of information relating to the ongoing procedure – which is supposed to be strictly confidential – and systematically unfavourable of President Ahmad, have been made public through the press, preventing, in fact, a serene investigation from taking place,” it continued.

“Even the hearing of president Ahmad, who was notably refused the right to examine some of his witnesses during a hearing conducted at the prosecution’s double pace, was not held according to the expected and usual standards.

“As a result of these irregularities, the facts presented in a high questionable manner by the investigatory Chambers to the Adjudicatory Chambers of the Fifa Ethics Committee. Moreover, the latter hastened to issue an urgent and immediately enforceable decision, without providing the grounds of the sentence, despite its seriousness. The reason for such haste could be that this sentence would prevent president Ahmad from being re-elected to the presidency of Caf in the elections scheduled for March 2021, despite the many supporters already declared in his favour.

“An appeal will therefore be made before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to challenge this incomprehensible and shocking decision. Furthermore, he will request for the stay of the decision, so as not to aggravate the prejudice he is suffering and allow him to campaign for his re-election to the precedency of Caf.”