AFC waives $253,030 Maldives FA debt, clears path for funding applications in 2027

The waiver removes a financial liability as FAM seeks to rebuild its operations.

26 September 2026, 09:04

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has waived $253,030 owed by the Football Association of Maldives (FAM) and lifted financial restrictions imposed after an audit found that AFC funds had been misused, FAM said in a statement.

The audit examined funds provided in 2023 under the administration of former FAM president Bassam Adeel Jaleel. The AFC subsequently directed FAM to repay the money and withheld funding allocated to the association from 2024.

FAM said the AFC Executive Committee approved its request to write off the debt and end the suspension. The association will be eligible to apply for AFC financial programmes from 2027, though the decision does not guarantee funding.

The waiver removes a financial liability as FAM seeks to rebuild its operations. The association called the decision an opportunity to put Maldivian football on a sounder financial footing with future AFC support.

Bassam was banned for life from football activities by FIFA in September 2026 for misusing money from FIFA’s separate COVID-19 Relief Plan for personal benefit. Maldivian courts have also sentenced him in cases involving FAM funds, with appeals filed against some convictions.

AFC waives $253,030 Maldives FA debt, clears path for funding applications in 2027

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