Mali FA faces scrutiny after audit finds major financial irregularities

A preliminary financial audit of the Malian Football Federation (FEMAFOOT) has identified more than 380 million CFA francs (£495,000) in spending without supporting documents, alongside questionable advances and signs of overcharging.

The findings, presented by FEMAFOOT president Mahazou dit Baba Cisse, have placed the federation’s previous executive under serious scrutiny. Auditors also reported a major breakdown in internal controls, including what they described as blatant failures to follow purchasing procedures.

The report was commissioned by FEMAFOOT’s new leadership and is currently preliminary. Its conclusions are expected to be reviewed further before a final document is sent to the relevant authorities.

The audit’s findings help explain the payment delays that had placed financial pressure on clubs and local suppliers. Those delays left organisations and businesses involved in Malian football waiting for money owed to them.

In response, the new administration moved quickly to address the immediate financial strain. It injected more than 387 million CFA francs directly into the country’s leagues and football stakeholders, with the stated aim of rebuilding confidence and helping to clear outstanding debts.

The sums highlighted by the audit are not identical: the report refers to more than 380 million CFA francs in spending that lacked supporting documentation, while the new leadership says it has provided more than 387 million CFA francs to leagues and other participants in the football system.

Despite the seriousness of the allegations, FEMAFOOT’s leadership has said it will not reach a final judgment before those involved have been given the opportunity to respond.

Cisse stressed that the principle of contradiction would be respected. Those named or implicated in the report will be allowed to present their arguments and provide any supporting documents before the final audit is submitted to the competent bodies.

That process means the preliminary findings do not yet represent a final ruling against the outgoing office-holders. The people concerned will have the chance to challenge the auditors’ conclusions or explain the transactions in question.

The audit nevertheless points to a federation facing significant questions over the management of its finances and the operation of its internal safeguards. The references to unsupported expenditure, suspicious advances, possible overbilling and failures in procurement procedures form the central concerns raised by the auditors.

For the new FEMAFOOT leadership, restoring trust will therefore involve both answering those allegations through the formal review process and dealing with the debts that contributed to the disruption affecting clubs and suppliers.

The final report will determine what conclusions are passed to the relevant authorities after the outgoing officials have submitted their explanations and documentation.