Referees offered $30,000 to fix a match
JOHANNESBURG — Four South African match officials were offered $30,000 to fix an international club game in Nigeria this weekend, their country’s national soccer association said Thursday.
Referee Victor Gomes, assistant referees Johannes Moshidi and Athenkosi Ndongeni and fourth official Thando Ndzandzeka were offered the bribe in cash ahead of Nigerian team Plateau United’s Confederation Cup game against Algerian club USM Alger in Lagos on Saturday, the South African Football Association said.
SAFA said Gomes immediately reported the incident to the Confederation of African Football, which runs the Confederation Cup. CAF has opened an investigation. No details were given on who was suspected of offering the bribe.
Plateau United won the game 2-1. The second leg is next week in Algeria.
The playoff will decide who reaches the main group stage of the Confederation Cup, Africa’s second-biggest club competition after the African Champions League.
Germany tops FIFA rankings
ZURICH — Germany stayed at the top of the FIFA rankings despite losing to No. 2 Brazil in a friendly last month.
The 2014 World Cup champions were beaten 1-0 at home in their last game before squads will be named for this year’s tournament in Russia.
Belgium rose two places to No. 3, while Portugal and Argentina each dropped one to 4 and 5 after losing friendlies. Spain, which beat Argentina 6-1, fell two to No. 8 and Russia fell three to No. 66.
Canada, which defeated New Zealand 1-0 in a friendly last month in Spain with new coach John Herdman at the helm, rose 10 places in the FIFA rankings to No. 80.
Tunisia, Africa’s highestranked team, rose nine places to No. 14, dropping CONCACAF leader Mexico to No. 15. Iran leads the Asian teams at No. 36.
No. 70 Saudi Arabia is the lowest-ranked World Cup team.
Nastasic doubtful for World Cup
GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY — Schalke and Serbia defender Matija Nastasic has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering cruciate ligament damage to his right knee.
Nastasic went off in the closing stages of Schalke’s defeat to Hamburger SV on Saturday and the club says Thursday’s diagnosis means the 25-year-old will be out for eight to 12 weeks.
Schalke says, “Whether he will feature for Serbia at the World Cup this summer in Russia is still unclear.”
Nastasic has played a key role in ensuring Schalke has the joint second-best defensive record in the league this season. Only Bayern Munich, the champion, has conceded fewer goals.
Uruguay may demolish Centenario for Cup
MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY — Uruguay may demolish the historic Centenario stadium as part of its bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
The country’s sports secretary Fernando Caceres told The Associated Press that six projects were being considered for a new stadium.
The Centenario was built back in 1930 to host the first World Cup.
In all six projects the existing 100-meter tower would be maintained, as a tribute to Uruguayan teams that won gold medals at the 1924 and 1928 Olympics.
Caceres said the Centenario “cannot resist any longer because its maintenance is very costly and is not adapted to modern sporting entertainment.”
He did, however, say that demolishing the stadium would shock Uruguayans because of its symbolic value.