A big boost to suspended Mohamed Bin Hammam...

Court Of Arbitration of Sports (CAS) has overturned a decision of lifetime ban from football for Mohamed Bin Hammam.

Former AFC President, Mohamed Bin Hammam was banned lifetime after trying to buy votes while challenging for the Fifa presidency last year.

The CAS panel released a statement explaining the decision, stating: “This conclusion should not be taken to diminish the significance of its finding that it is more likely than not that Mr Bin Hammam was the source of the monies that were brought into Trinidad and Tobago and eventually distributed at the meeting by Mr Warner, and that in this way, his conduct, in collaboration with and most likely induced by Mr Warner, may not have complied with the highest ethical standards that should govern the world of football and other sports.

“The Panel is doing no more than concluding that the evidence is insufficient in that it does not permit the majority of the Panel to reach the standard of comfortable satisfaction in relation to the matters on which the Appellant was charged.

“It is a situation of ‘case not proven’, coupled with concern on the part of the Panel that the Fifa investigation was not complete or comprehensive enough to fill the gaps in the record.”

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have also given their response to the decision in a brief statement.

"AFC has noted the decision rendered by CAS in the case of Mohamed Bin Hammam versus Fifa by means of which the appeal of Mr Mohamed Bin Hammam has been upheld and the life ban annulled," state the AFC.

"As far as AFC is concerned Mr Bin Hammam remains under provisional suspension by AFC vide an AFC Disciplinary Committee decision on July 16, 2012, for 30 days for possible violations of the AFC Statutes, AFC Disciplinary Code and AFC Code of Ethics.

"AFC will have no comment to make on this matter until further notice."

Inputs: AFC, CAS, FIFA