CAS to hear soccer official's appeal against 10-year ban

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) - A soccer official found guilty of self-dealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in FIFA funds will try to overturn his 10-year ban from soccer this month.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport says it will hear Chabur Goc Alei's appeal against FIFA on Nov. 18.

As president of South Sudan's soccer federation, Alei profited from his own business changing FIFA dollars into local currency at a below-market rate, gave a construction project contract to a firm he co-owned with his brother, and diverted money intended for women's and youth soccer.

FIFA's ethics committee judged Alei oversaw six-figure money transfers with no authorization or explanation.

Alei's actions were revealed by a FIFA-ordered audit in 2016 of how the South Sudanese soccer body used almost $1.2 million sent from Zurich in the previous two years.

In its published verdict, the FIFA panel said "Alei's degree of guilt must be regarded as very serious," and noted his "absence of remorse or confession."

FIFA ethics judges also fined him 500,000 Swiss francs ($507,000) and ordered him to pay for the ethics investigation.

Alei had been appointed to FIFA's fair play and social responsibility committee after South Sudan gained FIFA membership in 2012.

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