DOHA/LAUSANNE: Whatever the outcome of Mohammed Bin Hammam’s appeal against his life ban by FIFA, the verdict from the Court of Arbitration of Sport will go largely unnoticed.

Sources close to the former president of the Asian Football Confederation say they have been told by CAS that the decision is to be announced on July 27 – the day of the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in London.

Originally the Qatari had hoped for a much earlier declaration so that, if he had won his appeal, he could act against the AFC’s plans to hold presidential elections. In fact, this has not taken place so he still has time if he wishes to try to reclaim his AFC role.

Bin Hammam was suspended for life by FIFA last July over bribery allegations concerning a conference of the Carribean Football Union in Porto of Spain in May last year. It had been arranged by the then CONCACAF president Jack Warner so that Bin Hammam could promote his bid for the FIFA presidency.

Subsequently it emerged that delegates had been offered $40,000 each for attendance expenses.

Bin Hammam later withdrew his presidential bid and Sepp Blatter was re-elected unopposed. Zhang Jilong of China was subsequently installed as interim president of the AFC.

Bin Hammam failed with a protest to FIFA’s disciplinary committee and had an attempt to block the AFC’s election process denied by CAS.

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