Former President of the South Sudan Football Association, Chabour Goc Alei, has been banned for 10 years by FIFA ©Getty Images

Former President of the South Sudan Football Association (SSFA), Chabour Goc Alei, has been banned for 10 years by FIFA for stealing grant money and offering bribes.

Alei, also a former FIFA Standing Committee member, was also found to have used the misappropriated money as bribes for other officials.

FIFA announced that as of May 24 - when the decision was officially made by its Adjudicatory Chamber of the Independent Ethics Committee - that they Alei has been banned from all football related activity for a decade.

He has also been fined CHF500,000 (£400,000/$497,000/€445,750).

South Sudan Football Association President Chabour Goc Alei was a supporter of Gianni Infantino and the newly-elected FIFA head visited South Sudan after he was elected in February 2016 ©Getty Images
South Sudan Football Association President Chabour Goc Alei was a supporter of Gianni Infantino and the newly-elected FIFA head visited South Sudan after he was elected in February 2016 ©Getty Images

A FIFA statement said that the Adjudicatory Chamber of the Independent Ethics Committee had investigated Alei for "the misappropriation of FIFA Financial Assistance Programme and FIFA Goal Programme funds received by the SSFA during the 2014 and 2015 period, and to various payments made (from such funds) to football officials and other individuals.

"In its decision, the adjudicatory chamber found that Alei had breached article 28 (misappropriation of funds) and article 20 (offering and accepting gifts or other benefits) of the 2018 edition of the FIFA Code of Ethics."

Alei's ban is the latest embarrassment for African football governance, amid unconfirmed reports that the President of the Confederation of African Football, Ahmad, is also being probed by FIFA.

It is also uncomfortable news for FIFA President Gianni Infantino. 

Alei supported Infantino in the February 2016 election, with the Swiss making South Sudan the first Member Federation he visited following his selection as President.