The Football Association of Maldives (FAM) has initiated a disciplinary case over the construction of storage units at the Maafannu Stadium arena project, part of FIFA’s Forward Program, without notifying the global football organization.
The Maafannu Stadium project, originally approved under FIFA’s funding, was granted to FAM through a 50-year land lease by the Ministry of Sports during former FAM President Bassam Adeel Jaleel’s tenure. The initiative aimed to develop a modern football arena for local and international use.
However, during the early stages of construction, FAM reportedly modified the approved designs to include warehouses intended for commercial rental—changes made without FIFA’s knowledge or authorization. These alterations were flagged to FIFA in the past but had not been formally resolved.
Following a review, the current FAM Executive Committee (ExCo) has decided to refer the matter to FAM’s Disciplinary and Ethics Committee for a formal investigation.
In addition to the unauthorized warehouses, certain portions of the stadium land were reportedly leased out for other commercial purposes without ExCo approval. FAM confirmed that these issues will be handled as separate cases by the disciplinary body.
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Unauthorized project alterations: Modifications to the initial arena designs without FIFA’s approval.
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Unauthorized land leasing: Commercial leasing of parts of the land without Executive Committee consent.
The disciplinary process marks a significant step toward accountability and transparency in the management of FIFA-funded projects in the Maldives.
