Amadou Diakite, chief of CAF Referees Committee and member of the FIFA Referees Committee, has been banned by FIFA in the wake of the vote-selling saga. Diakite is among six officials who were sanctioned for breaching "various articles of the FIFA Code of Ethics," according to an official statement. Mali's Diakite will serve a three-year ban from all football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) at national and international level. Refereeing in Africa has come under severe criticism recently, as several errors marred the crucial stages of the African Champions League this year. In the first-leg of the semis between Ahli and Esperance, the Egyptian champions scored with a handball to register a 2-1 victory. The Tunisians scored from an even more obvious handball in the second-leg to qualify on goal difference. But they were the victims of harsh and below-par refereeing, according to experts, in the first-leg of the final against holders Mazembe, who won 5-0. Several clubs' coaches, including Ahli manager Hossam Al-Badri, accused African referees of corruption on more than one occasion.