FIFA bans Nepal, Laos football chiefs for corruption

ZURICH – FIFA banned football chief of Nepal for 10 years and the president of the Laos federation for two years for corruption.

Ganesh Thapa, president of the All-Nepal Football Association, was implicated in bribery at elections to choose Asian delegates on the world governing body’s executive committee.

Thapa “committed various acts of misconduct over several years, including the solicitation and acceptance of cash payments from another football official, for both personal and family gain,” said a FIFA statement without giving details.

On top of the ban, he was fined 20,000 Swiss francs (USD 19,850) by the ethics committee’s adjudicatory chamber.

In another case Monday, Laos Football Federation President Viphet Sihachakr was suspended from soccer for two years by FIFA’s ethics committee.

Sihachakr was found to have sought and accepted a payment from another official relating to the 2011 election for a place on FIFA’s executive committee. He was fined 40,000 Swiss francs (USD 39,700).