World Cup referee Range banned for life for bribery

CAIRO: A Kenyan linesman who had been due to officiate at the World Cup in Russia has been handed a life ban after being caught in a bribery sting.

Marwa Range was filmed received a US$600 (RM2,400) bribe during the African Nations Championship in Morocco in January and is one of 22 referees sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football in an unprecedented clean up, announced at the weekend.

Range, who was a reserve at the 2014 finals in Brazil, had earlier been removed from the list of match officials due to officiate in Russia.

The life ban was handed out by CAF’s disciplinary board who also banned 10 other referees for between two to 10 years for similar offences.

A further 11 have been suspended pending an appearance in front of the board next month.

African football has long been plagued by allegations of bribery but never before has CAF banned such a large number of officials.