The head of Africa's football federation has rejected allegations of corruption raised against him in a British parliament hearing.
Confederation of African Football President Issa Hayatou, a Cameroonian, is accused of accepting $1.5 million to vote for Qatar as the site of the 2022 World Cup. British lawmakers made the accusation Tuesday, basing it on unpublished evidence submitted by London's Sunday Times newspaper.
A statement on the CAF website Wednesday says Hayatou categorically denies the allegation and dismisses it as "pure invention" aimed at destroying his reputation.
A football official from Ivory Coast, Jacques Anouma, has also been accused of accepting $1.5 million to vote for Qatar.
The Associated Press quotes FIFA President Sepp Blatter as saying he will ask for evidence of the claims that were made at the hearing.