FIFA suspends financial support to Mozambique

FIFA has suspended financial support to the Mozambican Football Federation (FMF) due to lack of reports on the use of money it was allocated last year, local media reported on Friday.

   According to Ngoufonja, who told reporters in Maputo on Thursday night at the end of his three-day visit, FIFA requires the annual statement of accounts and activities to its members, and must be submitted by March 31 each year, but the FMF did not.

   "Now we require the reports of global accounts, not only the money we provide. Mozambique has still not given us their support, so we suspend the funding. The money for the FMF exists, but requires only the clarification of last year's accounts," explained Ngoufonja, quoted by the Maputo daily Noticias.

   This year FIFA has allocated one million and 50 thousand U.S. dollars, each associated with a substantial increase which is justified by the dispute of the qualifiers for the World Cup 2018 to be held in Russia.

   "In all, we added 500,000 dollars, plus 300,000 for the bonus. Annually generally FIFA allocates 250 thousand to affiliates," he continued.

   Last year's FMF boss was Faizal Sidat. Sidat told reporters on Friday that he was proud to have left the federation with a positive balance.

   But the current president of the FMF, Alberto Simango Jr, said an audit company led by the KPMG was carrying out the audit to find out what had happened.

   The FIFA representative warned that reports on the expenditure is needed by March 31 next year.  Endi