Last updated on .From the section African Kalusha Bwalya is a former African Player of the year, and went on to be coach of Zambia's national team and president of the Zambia FA Football's world governing body, Fifa, has banned Zambia's former African Footballer of the Year, Kalusha Bwalya, for two years. Its decision follows an investigation into his links to banned Qatari official Mohammed Bin Hammam. It found that Bwalya had accepted a gift violating Fifa's code of ethics. In a statement Bwalya said that he is "not guilty of any offence" and vowed to fight "tooth and nail" to clear his name. "I have never done and will never do anything to bring the beautiful game into disrepute," he added external-link . Fifa's ethics committee said the ban was from "all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level". Bwalya, a former president of the Football Association of Zambia, is a Confederation of African Football (Caf) executive committee member. Big fine Fifa said in a statement external-link it had been investigating the 54-year-old since February 2017 "focused principally on benefits that Mr Bwalya had received from Mr Bin Hammam". Bwalya has also been fined 100,000 Swiss francs ($100,600, £78,900). In 1988, Bwalya was voted African Player of the Year by Caf and later went on to be coach of the Zambia national team. Mr Bin Hammam was banned for life from football by Fifa in 2011 for his part in a cash-for-votes scandal. The Qatari has denied any wrongdoing.<doc-sep>Former Zambia national team captain‚ coach and FA head Kalusha Bwalya has been banned from football for two years‚ Fifa has said in a statement. The ban from “football-related activities” follows an investigation into 1988 African footballer of the year Bwalya’s ties to banned Qatari Fifa official Mohammed Bin Hammam. Bwalya was also fined 100,000 Swiss Francs (R1‚4-million). Fifa’s statement read: “The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has banned Kalusha Bwalya‚ member of the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (Caf)‚ for two years from all football-related activities (administrative‚ sports or any other) at both national and international level. “The investigation against Mr Bwalya was opened on 28 February 2017‚ and focused principally on benefits that Mr Bwalya had received from Mr Bin Hammam. “The adjudicatory chamber found Mr Bwalya guilty of having violated article 16 (Confidentiality) and article 20 (Offering and accepting gifts and other benefits) of the Fifa Code of Ethics. A fine in the amount of CHF 100‚000 was also imposed on Mr Bwalya. “The decision was notified to Mr Bwalya today [on Friday]‚ and the ban comes into force immediately.” Former PSV Eindhoven and Club America (Mexico) forward Bwalya was president of the Zambian FA from 2008 to 2016.<doc-sep>Kalusha Bwalya was voted African player of the year in 1988 and later went on to be coach of the Zambia national team and president of the Zambian Football Association. MANCHESTER - Zambia’s former African footballer of the year Kalusha Bwalya has been banned from the game for two years by world governing body Fifa after an investigation into his links to banned Qatari official Mohammed Bin Hammam. The adjudicatory chamber of Fifa’s Ethics Committee said on Friday that they had banned Bwalya, a member of the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), for two years from “all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level.” Fifa said in a statement they had been investigating the 54-year-old Bwalya since February 2017 “focused principally on benefits that Mr Bwalya had received from Mr Bin Hammam.” “The adjudicatory chamber found Mr Bwalya guilty of having violated art. 16 (Confidentiality) and art. 20 (Offering and accepting gifts and other benefits) of the Fifa Code of Ethics. A fine in the amount of CHF 100,000 ($100,573.2) was also imposed on Mr Bwalya.” Bwalya was voted African player of the year in 1988 and later went on to be coach of the Zambia national team and president of the Zambian Football Association. He was not immediately reachable for comment. Bin Hammam was banned for life from football by Fifa in 2011 for his part in a cash-for-votes scandal. The Qatari has denied any wrongdoing.<doc-sep>
Fifa ban Caf Exco member Kalusha Bwalya for two years for breaching ethics code The former Football Association of Zambia (Faz) president was implicated in a bribery storm involving Qatari business mogul Mohammed bin Hammam Fifa have banned Caf executive committee member Kalusha Bwalya from all football-related activities for two years over accepting illegal payments from former Asian football chief Mohammed bin Hammam. Bwalya was among a host of African football officials caught in the storm of Bin Hammam’s bribery allegations. Fifa investigations found Bwalya guilty of violating the ethics code by accepting improper payments totaling $80 000 from Bin Hammam in 2009 and 2011 for Faz and personal expenditure. The Qatari business mogul then intended to challenge Sepp Blatter for Fifa presidency as his country also solicitated for votes in the bid to host the 2022 Fifa World Cup. “The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has banned Kalusha Bwalya, member of the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (Caf), for two years from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level,” said Fifa in a statement. “The investigation against Mr Bwalya was opened on 28 February 2017, and focused principally on benefits that Mr Bwalya had received from Mr Bin Hammam. “The adjudicatory chamber found Mr Bwalya guilty of having violated art. 16 (Confidentiality) and art. 20 (Offering and accepting gifts and other benefits) of the FIFA Code of Ethics. A fine in the amount of CHF 100,000 was also imposed on Mr Bwalya. Article continues below “The decision was notified to Mr Bwalya today, and the ban comes into force immediately.” The 1988 African Footballer of the Year becomes the second Caf executive committee member to fall inside two months. His ban comes after former Ghana Football Association president Kwesi Nyatakyi was exposed in a video by an undercover journalist taking cash in a bag as a gift payment, leading to his subesquent ban by Fifa.