Omar Ali Named as Interim Comoros FA Boss

The Executive Committee of the Comoros Football Federation (FCF) has installed Omar Ben Hassan Ali as the interim president of the country’s football governing body.

An emergency meeting was held at its headquarters of FCF on Wednesday afternoon to elect an interim president while Said Ali Said Athouman serves a three-month suspension.

The decision comes after the National Ethics Commission (CNE) suspended president Athouman after he was found guilty of abuse of power.

Earlier last month, CNE launched investigations into allegations that Athouman awarded a ticket to 2019 Arab Club Championship (UAFA Cup) to Volcan Club instead of Fomboni FC, who are the current Comoros Cup champions.

Ducor Sports sources at the CNE disclosed that the president was suspended following a recommendation from the team set up to investigate the allegations.

Officials representing Authoman did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The move by CNE is likely to attract FIFA’s sanctions as the world football body prohibits governmental interference in running of a national association.

In the past, such sanctions have involved international suspensions from all forms of football for governmental interference.

Said Athouman succeeded Salim Tourqui who resigned in November 2017, a matter which threw the federation into a leadership crisis.

Ali, meanwhile, starts his new role immediately until the NCE directs a date for new election which will also involve other Executive Committee seats.

The interim boss, who has been serving as the FCF vice-president, is known for improving the level of the game in his country making hundreds of players join French based clubs.

Comoros, which is an archipelago of three Indian Ocean Islands namely Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mwali, formerly Grande-Comore, Anjouan, and Moheli, respectively, became a FIFA member in year 2005.