Bangui: A court in the Central African Republic (CAR) has reinstated the president of the country’s football federation, along with his three deputies and the secretary general, less than two months after their suspension by Sports Minister Rodolphe Heritier Doneng Wanzoumon. The ruling by the Administrative Court of Bangui, located in the CAR capital, was delivered on Tuesday.

According to Namibia Press Agency, FA secretary general Octave Mahamat Adialo expressed approval of the court’s decision, emphasizing that the primary focus of the federation remains the development of football within the country. The officials originally faced a six-month suspension in June, with accusations including violations of the core values of sport, refusal to secure government permission for the national men’s team to travel for FIFA Day, and failure to provide necessary administrative and financial reports on federation activities.

The CAR Football Association has been embroiled in a crisis since January when the sports minister appointed Rigobert Song, the former head coach of the Cameroon national team, as the manager of the CAR national men’s team. The federation contested the appointment, highlighting that it was not consulted or involved in the decision-making process. Consequently, the football body has been functioning without the government-appointed coach.