An independent financial audit commissioned by the new leadership of the Malian Football Federation (FEMAFOOT) has accused the outgoing office of serious financial misconduct.
The preliminary report, presented by FEMAFOOT president Mahazou dit Baba Cisse, identifies more than 380m CFA francs in spending without supporting documents. It also raises concerns over suspicious advances and indications that some costs may have been inflated.
Auditors said the federation’s internal control system had suffered a major breakdown. They highlighted what they described as a flagrant failure to follow purchasing procedures, raising questions about the way expenditure was approved and recorded under the previous administration.
The findings help explain the payment delays that placed significant pressure on Malian clubs and local suppliers. According to the report, outstanding obligations had left clubs and other football stakeholders struggling to receive money owed to them.
The new FEMAFOOT leadership has moved quickly to address the financial strain. It has injected more than 387m CFA francs directly to leagues and other participants in Malian football, with the stated aim of rebuilding confidence and helping to clear the debts.
The payment represents a response to the difficulties identified by the audit, while the federation seeks to stabilise its financial position. The report’s findings have therefore linked the previous administration’s alleged financial irregularities with the liquidity problems that affected clubs and suppliers.
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, Cisse’s administration has stopped short of declaring the outgoing officials responsible before the process is complete. The FEMAFOOT president said the principle of contradiction would be respected, allowing those named in the report to respond to the accusations.
Those involved will have the opportunity to submit their explanations and provide any supporting documents they believe are relevant. Their responses will be considered before the final version of the audit is sent to the competent authorities.
The document currently in circulation is therefore a preliminary report rather than the final determination of the case. Its conclusions could be clarified or challenged once the people implicated have presented their evidence.
For now, the audit has placed the financial management of the previous FEMAFOOT office under close scrutiny, while the federation’s new leadership attempts to deal with the immediate consequences of unpaid obligations. The combination of unsupported expenditure, questionable advances, possible overcharging and weak procurement controls forms the central concern raised by the auditors.
The final report will be transmitted to the relevant bodies after the contradiction process has been completed. Until then, the federation has said that no definitive condemnation should be made, even as it works to restore trust and meet the financial needs of Mali’s football community.
