African football confederation (CAF) president Ahmad Ahmad has had his ban for a series of corruption offences cut from five years to two after his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport was partially upheld.
The 61-year-old Ahmad also had a fine of 200,000 Swiss francs ($A280,000) reduced to 50,000 francs on Monday but he remains ineligible for re-election as president of CAF later this week.
Ahmad was sanctioned by global football governing body FIFA, where is also a vice president, in November having been found guilty of offering and accepting gifts or other benefits and misappropriating funds, among other charges.
The charges relate to the period of 2017 to 2019.
The CAS cleared Ahmad, who is from Madagascar, of benefiting from a transaction with Tactical Steel for the equipment for the 2018 African Nations Championship.
But the court said he was guilty of failing to record various financial transactions and the distribution of gifts and misappropriation of funds relating to an Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca.
South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe is the likely candidate to succeed Ahmad at the March 12 election in Rabat, Morocco, with media reports suggesting a deal to see rival candidates step aside is close to being completed.
Australian Associated Press
