Sport: Mali Football Chief Mamoutou Touré released after 20 months in Jail
Malian football federation president Mamoutou Touré has been granted provisional release after 622 days in detention over alleged embezzlement of $28 million in public funds. The 67-year-old, arrested in August 2023, had denied the charges linked to his former role as financial director of Mali’s National Assembly.
Despite imprisonment, Touré was controversially re-elected last year to lead Femafoot, Mali’s football governing body. FIFA president Gianni Infantino had backed him, citing “presumption of innocence,” but Touré recently lost his seats on FIFA’s ruling council and CAF’s executive committee after voluntarily stepping down.
His release marks a turning point in a case that polarized Malian football. While his international influence has waned, Touré retains control domestically—Femafoot had previously dismissed the charges as a “politically motivated plot.” Authorities haven’t clarified if the investigation continues, leaving his long-term future uncertain.
