Hadji Diouf suspended for 5 years by Senegal

Blackburn Rovers striker El-Hadji Diouf was handed a five-year international ban by the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) on Wednesday, following remarks he made in the media about corruption in African football. In a statement, the FSF said that it was banning Hadji Diouf "from performing any football-related activity for a period of five years with effect from the date of notification of this decision". The federation said, however, that the ban could be lifted if the former Liverpool striker turned up to face a disciplinary inquiry into the remarks he made in an interview with Radio France International in which he said "the whole system of African football is corrupt" and denounced "the shenanigans" in Senegalese football. He was summoned to a hearing on July 20 but failed to turn up. In an interview with the French sports magazine Stade, the 30-year-old claimed he had not received a summons and declared he would "go to war" with the FSF if it banned him. It marks another troubling chapter in the player's career. Earlier this month the two-time African Footballer of the Year was fined by Blackburn for turning up late for pre-season training. He was subsequently left out of Blackburn's tour of Hong Kong with coach Steve Kean admitting that it was time for Hadji Diouf to move on.