2019 Africa Cup of Nations: FIFA takes over CAF until end of year

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World football's governing body FIFA is set to take a supervisory role at the Confederation of African Football in an unprecedented move over corruption at the troubled African body. This comes after CAF President Ahmad Ahmad faced a number of corruption accusations, forcing FIFA to intervene with a view to saving the organization from disintegration. CGTN's Adel El Mahrouky has more from Cairo.

FIFA is officially getting involved in the direct management of African football. From August, FIFA secretary General Fatma Samoura will take a leading role in the forensic audit of CAF's leadership and financial transactions, alongside a team of experts. It's yet another personal blow to CAF President Ahmad, who has come under fire over corruption allegations.

AHMAD AHMAD CAF PRESIDENT "Everywhere I go, I hear about corruption. I, therefore, insisted on bringing FIFA's secretary general to follow up and inspect. We must not listen to rumors, so we can develop African football. We must stop believing these false rumors about corruption, we are in the process of building and bringing up football."

It's a shocking and unprecedented development. If it's any consolation, it's the CAF Chief Ahmad himself who made the revelations, saying the idea of inviting FIFA to CAF was his own.

Ahmad was also forced to defend the controversial use of VAR technology at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, after the recent debacle at the CAF Champions League final.

AHMAD AHMAD CAF PRESIDENT "It's a precautionary measure. Everyone in CAF agreed on not using VAR from the beginning of the competition. Because not everyone is good at using the technique. So we have to depend on those who have experience. I don't think what happened in the Champions League final, will happen again here in Egypt."

CAF will deploy the use of the video assistant referee from the quarter-final stage of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

ADEL EL MAHROUKY CAIRO "To end all controversies over CAF's corruption allegations, CAF's president announced that FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura will personally oversee all management procedure in the Confederation. But will that be the end of these accusations? Adel EL Mahrouky, CGTN, CAIRO."