Ref Gomes lauded
JOHANNESBURG. A group of South African soccer match officials has sent out a strong message about their stance on corruption.
Big ups to referee Victor Gomes, assistants Johannes Moshidi and Athenkosi Ndongeni, and fourth official Thando Ndzandzeka for turning down a bribe to fix last weekend’s CAF Confederation Cup game. Nigeria’s Plateau United went on to beat Algeria’s USM Alger 2-1 fair and square.
Gomes and his team were offered $30 000 (R362 556) in cash ahead of the game, but refused to take the bribe. However, while they deserve to be commended for reporting the matter, we should also be careful not to praise fish for swimming.
It is their responsibility to make sure matches are played fairly and that results are not manipulated. Either way, we are grateful to them for upholding the moral standards encouraged by the South African Football Association. Unsurprisingly, SAFA were quick to praise them. SAFA’s head of referees Tenda Masikhwa said: “Our officials showed the rest of the continent and the world that they won’t tolerate corruption. We are proud of what they did. This is why South African referees are respected and highly sought-after.”
On the other hand, the ABC Motsepe League is riddled with allegations of match-fixing. Although Safa vowed to deal with the plague of corruption in the lower division, the association has done little to make good on its promise.
It is time for SAFA bosses to put their money where their mouths are regarding match-fixing.
The third tier league is besieged with corruption scandals and, until SAFA does something meaningful – like send people to jail or ban them for life – the fraudulent conduct will continue unabated.
If SAFA are serious about beating corruption, it needs to stop the lip service and act immediately.
What’s even more surprising is CAF’s silence. The continental football body has not said much since the matter was reported.
Aside from promising to conduct an investigation, CAF have not spoken about the incident. What if nothing is done or the perpetrators are not brought to book?