Issa Hayatou denies corruption allegations in Qatar 2022 World Cup bid scandal
Yaoundé, 17 May 2025
CAF President Issa Hayatou has strongly denied allegations of corruption following a report by The Sunday Times that implicated him and several other African football officials in a bribery scandal surrounding Qatar’s successful bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
According to the British newspaper, up to 30 African officials allegedly received bribes to support the Qatari bid. Hayatou, a long-standing figure in African football governance, was specifically named among the recipients of alleged financial inducements.
In a statement published on the CAF (Confederation of African Football) website, Hayatou categorically refuted the claims. “I have never received any financial rewards from Mr. [Mohammed] Bin Hammam, the Emir of Qatar, or any member of the Qatari bid to support the Qatar 2022 bid,” the Cameroonian football chief said. He further rejected suggestions that he had received “valuable gifts” during a visit to Doha in December 2009.
“I would like to point out that I never attended an invitation from Mr. Bin Hammam either in Doha or in Kuala Lumpur,” Hayatou added. Bin Hammam, a former FIFA Executive Committee member and one of the architects of Qatar’s campaign, has since been banned from football for life over corruption charges.
The Qatari bid team has also issued a firm denial, stating: “We vehemently deny all allegations of misconduct,” in response to the latest media reports.
The revelations, which have reignited concerns about the integrity of FIFA’s bidding processes, come amid growing scrutiny of past World Cup host decisions. While FIFA has yet to reopen a formal investigation into the 2022 vote, pressure is mounting on global football’s governing body to revisit the findings in light of the Sunday Times exposé.
