adminPARIS. — Qatar paid the Confederation of African Football $1,8 million to present its bid for the 2022 World Cup at a congress, the continent’s top football official told a French magazine.
CAF president and FIFA vice president Issa Hayatou said he saw nothing wrong with the payment made before the confederation held a congress in the Angolan capital Luanda in January 2010.
Qatar won the right to host the 2022 World Cup later the same year at a controversial FIFA vote now under investigation by Swiss authorities.
Paris-based Jeune Afrique magazine asked Hayatou about the donation from Qatar.
“It was $1,8 million, not one million. Paid in two times 900 000 dollars,” the controversial CAF chief replied.
“The Qataris gave it to us to be able to show their plan (for the 2022 World Cup) during the congress.”
Hayatou insisted he had not expected other candidates, including the United States and Australia, to pay for a similar privilege.
“Not necessarily. We didn’t ask Qatar to do it. They proposed it. We did not ban the other candidates from taking part in the presentation,” he was quoted as saying, while also denying that it was a bid to buy African votes.
“I convened immediately after a meeting of the CAF executive committee to say that what had happened did not commit us to anything. I did not make any recommendation and everyone voted according to their soul and conscience.”
Hayatou also denied there was any corruption in the vote which gave the 2010 World Cup to South Africa. Asked about the payment, a CAF spokesman told AFP that Qatar “wanted to have this privilege exclusively” to make its presentation.
Qatar did not comment on the report but has in the past strongly denied any wrongdoing connected to its bid. — AFP.
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