The Senegal FA has slapped former Teranga Lions skipper El Hadji Diouf with a five-year suspension for publicly discrediting the body’s officials and snubbing a summons

As promised earlier this week, the Senegal Football Federation (FSF) disciplinary committee on Wednesday announced its decision concerning Blackburn Rovers player and former Senegal international El Hadji Diouf , after he failed to appear before the committee to defend a defamation of character accusation.

The committee pronounced a five-year ban on the 30-year-old two-time African Footballer of the Year based on articles 11 and 16 of the FSF code of discipline and articles 172 and 176 of the general regulations of the Federation.

“The Disciplinary Committee, after deliberation, inflicted on professional footballer El Hadj Diouf Ousseynou a five-year suspension from all football activities with effect from the date of notification of this decision,” read the statement published by Senegal Press Agency, APS.

The committee, however, mentioned that Diouf has the right to appeal the decision.

The former Liverpool player was summoned after his interview with French radio RFI, in which he described officials of the FSF as “corrupt people and destroyers of the country’s football.”

Diouf did not report to the hearing because, according him, no invitation from the FSF reached his desk, even though the body insists it duly sent a letter of summons to his lawyer and parent club.

The player had threatened an all out war with the FA if he was banned.