Sayed Aghazada
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
October 11, 2019
FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, has banned the former general secretary of the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) for five years for violations concerning the abuse of female players.
FIFA said in a statement on October 11 that Sayed Aghazada was guilty of “various violations” of the FIFA Code of Ethics for failing to report sexual-abuse complaints lodged by several Afghan female soccer players against Keramuudin Karim, the former president of the AFF.
“In its decision, the adjudicatory chamber ruled that Mr. Aghazada was aware of this abuse and had the duty to report and prevent it according to the FIFA Code of Ethics,” the statement said.
Karim was banned for life in June following a FIFA investigation that found him guilty of having abused his position and for sexually abusing “various female players.”
In addition to a ban from all soccer-related activity at both the national and international level for five years, Aghazada was also fined 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,016), FIFA said.
“The FIFA Ethics Committee is still looking into the allegations that have been made against other individuals in connection to the same investigation and to their positions as football officials,” it said.
Aghazada was also a FIFA Standing Committee member and Asian Football Confederation Executive Committee member, according to the statement.