The president of the Afghanistan soccer federation (AFF) has been accused of demanding a $10,000 (£7,400) bribe to safe a spot for a participant on the nationwide group. In leaked recordings, Mohammad Yousef Kargar is heard discussing tips on how to switch the fee with the brother of Nesar Ahmad Mohmand, who was being thought-about for a spot within the group's coaching camp in Thailand. Kargar has denied the allegations and claimed the recordings had been “nothing however conspiracies and fabrications”.
Mehman, who performs within the second tier of Australian soccer, was noticed on the finish of final yr throughout an annual match in Melbourne organised by the Afghan diaspora. Kargar invited him to hitch up with the nationwide group for the coaching camp in March and despatched an invite letter to his membership, Stockton Sharks. However in recordings aired this month by Afghanistan Worldwide TV –which is predicated in London and has been banned by the Taliban – Kargar is heard asking for the $10,000 fee to be transferred to the account of one in every of his shut associates.
“As soon as it arrives on Saturday, I'll inform the coach, after which he can proceed with the preparations,” he says in a single recording made public. “We'll say that $10,000 was donated to the nationwide group,” he says in one other. “Nonetheless, the participant will nonetheless be chosen. Sooner or later, we are going to attempt to set up a one-year protocol. As soon as the invitation is confirmed, the coach will determine. You already know for the match towards Myanmar it gained't be doable, however for the sport towards Syria in June, we are going to register him early so he's mounted within the lineup.”
In a 3rd recording, Kargar, the president of the AFF since 2019, seems to simply accept a diminished price that he says will cowl visa prices for the journey to Thailand. “OK, no downside. I had mentioned $10,000, you mentioned $5,000. Add one other $1,500 on high, as a result of we want it for the visa. We want the cash right here; it gained't assist us in Thailand. If we don't have the cash, how can we go to Thailand?”
Kargar acknowledged on the Afghan tv channel Ariana final week that it's his voice that may be heard within the recordings. Nonetheless, he mentioned he had been making an attempt to barter a brand new sponsorship take care of a person he had met in Australia “whose title I didn't even know”.
“He mentioned he wished to carry international sponsors for the upcoming match towards Myanmar in March,” mentioned Kargar. “He then provided $10,000. I informed him that was acceptable, and that in return, in line with the settlement, we might meet our obligations as a federation. However he mentioned he had no want for promoting or publicity. I requested him: ‘Then why are you providing $10,000?' He replied: ‘As a result of I would like my brother to be included within the nationwide group.'
“I made it very clear that this was unimaginable, for the reason that nationwide group has a head coach, and solely the coach can choose gamers – not the federation. He then advised sending his brother to the coaching camp in Thailand. I informed him that first he should ship his brother's CV to the coach. If the coach accepted, then he may be a part of, however the prices must be coated by him personally.”
Kargar additionally mentioned he had “by no means seen this participant” regardless of posing for an image with him throughout the match in Melbourne. A number of different inconsistencies in his clarification have additionally been identified, together with the very fact he asks for the fee to be made by way of a cash trade slightly than the AFF's checking account. “This raises critical doubts concerning the transparency and legitimacy of the method,” mentioned one supply who didn't need to be named. Kargar didn't reply to questions from the Guardian when requested concerning the inconsistencies in his defence.
A Fifa spokesperson, requested whether or not the governing physique could be investigating the allegations towards Kargar, mentioned: “As a normal rule judicial our bodies don't touch upon whether or not investigations are beneath approach into alleged circumstances. Any info will probably be communicated at their discretion.”
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It isn't the primary time Kargar has confronted allegations of corruption. He has denied accusations of fixing two matches throughout a global males's match in 2008 in Malaysia. It has additionally been alleged that a number of AFF employees haven't been paid their salaries for the previous three years.
Kargar's time period as president was resulting from finish this yr however Fifa has confirmed it has been prolonged till the top of January 2026 for unspecified causes.
