Published: April 1, 2026
MONROVIA — Former Liberia Football Association President Musa Hassan Bility says the silence of his closest allies during his FIFA ban controversy nearly destroyed his life and career, as fresh claims about the origins of the sanction revive debate over one of Liberian football’s most contentious episodes.
Bility made the remarks in a post on his official Facebook page, referencing content from Intel Sports and recent comments by Deputy Youth and Sports Minister G. Andy Quamie.
On March 26, Quamie told Intel Sports that Bility’s ban was not tied to financial misconduct but rather to his opposition to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“Chief, you really think Musa Hassan Bility was banned because he ate Ebola money? You really think so? It was because he opposed Infantino,” Quamie said.
Allies Turned Silent
Bility’s latest remarks mark a shift from defending himself against FIFA’s findings to reflecting on what he describes as abandonment by political and football allies during the crisis.
Once backed by a coalition that helped propel him to power, Bility now suggests those same figures failed to support him when allegations surfaced.
Rise to Football Leadership
Quamie, along with current LFA President Mustapha Raji and other allies, played a central role in Bility’s rise within Liberian football.
As early as 2008, they formed part of a coalition that backed his successful bid in the 2010 LFA elections.
Bility’s victory marked a turning point in the country’s football politics, positioning him as a reform-oriented leader with strong institutional backing.
FIFA Ban and Findings
In 2019, FIFA banned Bility for 10 years and fined him $500,000 after finding him guilty of breaching its code of ethics.
The organization cited misappropriation of FIFA funds, conflicts of interest, and improper benefits linked to financial activities within the Liberia Football Association.
The investigation began in May 2018 following a forensic audit of the LFA, with FIFA pointing to transactions involving its Financial Assistance Programme and the “11 Against Ebola” campaign.
Liberia was among the countries hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak between 2013 and 2016, which killed more than 10,000 people across West Africa.
FIFA also referenced payments made by the LFA to entities linked to Bility and his family.
Bility Rejects Allegations
Bility has consistently denied wrongdoing, maintaining that the ban was politically motivated.
In August 2025, now a lawmaker and leader of the Citizens Movement for Change, he sharply criticized FIFA during a late-night interview on Spoon FM.
“I wouldn’t take FIFA to be a yardstick, an organization that is 10 times more corrupt than what they said about me,” Bility said. “FIFA is not a court of competent jurisdiction.”
A Tenure Marked by Controversy
Bility led the LFA from 2010 to 2018, winning successive elections in 2010 and 2014.
In 2015, he declared his candidacy for the FIFA presidency but was ruled ineligible after failing an integrity check.
His tenure was marked by repeated disputes. In 2013, he was suspended for six months for misuse of confidential documents. That same year, he opposed changes to Confederation of African Football election rules that allowed longtime CAF President Issa Hayatou to run unopposed.
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