FIFA have fined West Ham United £71,000 after their Senegal striker Diafra Sakho did not go to the African Cup of Nations claiming a back injury, but played in the FA Cup at Bristol City.
A FIFA statement issued on Wednesday confirmed the news, reprimanding both club and player for the affair as well as imposing the 100,000 CHF (£71,000) fine on the Hammers.
[FIFA STATEMENT: The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has found the club and the player to have violated regulations]
West Ham had believed they would be vindicated in the dispute which began when the Premier League club said he could not travel to the tournament in Equatorial Guinea due to injury.
Senegal then made an official complaint to football’s world governing body about him playing in the FA Cup fourth round for West Ham when he came off the bench to score in their 1-0 win at Bristol City last weekend. His national team, who went out of the tournament last week, were angry that their officials were unable to examine Sakho themselves because West Ham said he was not fit enough to fly.
West Ham denied any wrongdoing, and co-owner David Sullivan had insisted that “any FIFA hearing will vindicate us, we have done nothing untoward.”
