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AFC chief hopes doubts over Qatar bid for 2022 World Cup will be cleared up soon

June 01 2014 11:58 PM

CP28597058 — FILE - In this May 10, 2011 file picture of Mohamed bin Hammam, chief of the Asian Football Confederation, as he talks to local media in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago. Organizers of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Sunday June 1, 2014 denied fresh allegations of wrongdoing after a British newspaper report questioned the integrity of choosing the emirate as tournament host. The Sunday Times said a "senior FIFA insider" had provided "hundreds of millions of emails, accounts and other documents" detailing payments totaling million that Qatari official Mohamed bin Hammam allegedly gave football officials to build support for the bid. (AP Photo/Shirley Bahadur, File)

Original Publication Date: June 1, 2014 11:58PM

Publication Updated: January 8, 2025 11:03PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – The head of the Asian Football Confederation has expressed “grave concerns” over fresh allegations of corruption involving Qatar’s winning bid for the 2022 World Cup but says he’s hopeful the doubts will be cleared up soon.

AFC President Sheik Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain says in a statement Monday that hosting the World Cup “means a lot to the continent” and he is still looking forward to a successful World Cup in Qatar.

He was responding to an investigation by Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper alleging that former Qatari FIFA official Mohamed bin Hammam made payments totalling $5 million to build support for his country’s World Cup bid.

Sheik Salman said he is convinced that Qatar’s World Cup organizing body “will do their utmost to clear the doubts.”

Qatar’s organizing committee has denied any wrongdoing.

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