By Victor Kanayo
Algeria’s Kheireddine Zetchi has become the country’s fourth football official to be arrested in 2024.
According to Algerian media, the 59-year-old businessman who was a former president of the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) is accused, along with others, of corruption through “the conclusion of contracts in violation of the law for the granting of undue advantages to others and obtaining unjustified privileges,” “willful misappropriation of public funds,” and “abuse of function.”
Earlier, the presidents of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ), Andrew Kamanga and that of the South Africa Football Association (SAFA), Danny Jordaan were arrested this year over financial deals.
In the Algerian episode, Kheireddine Zetchi who succeeded Mohamed Raouraoua at the head of the FAF, presided over Algerian football from 2017 to 2021. He was also instrumental in the creation of the Paradou Football Training Centre.
According to various sources, corruption is rampant in Algerian football, as the management under Zetchi’s predecessors was marred by malfeasance and corruption.
But other sources claimed that the legal war against Kheireddine Zetchi is revenge by the military regime in Algeria, which has not forgiven the former FAF president for his vote during the 43rd General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football Confederation (CAF), in favour of amending Article 4 of the statutes of the pan-African body.
