Safa mum over latest Bafana match-fixing scandal

JOHANNESBURG: Safa yesterday refused to be drawn into the latest match-fixing scandal – one which involves yet another Bafana Bafana game – uncovered by world governing body Fifa earlier this week.

Ghanaian referee Joseph Odartei Lamptey received a lifetime ban from all football-related activities after the Fifa Disciplinary Committee found him guilty of “manipulating” Bafana’s 2-1 win over Senegal in a 2018 World Cup qualifier in November.

The match was played at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane and is not only remembered for the dubious penalty awarded by Lamptey to South Africa and converted by captain Thulani Hlatshwayo on the stroke of halftime, but also coach Shakes Mashaba’s infamous rant aimed at his bosses shortly after the final whistle.

On Monday, the events of that day appeared to have claimed another victim, albeit for different reasons. Fifa said in a statement that it “follows a zero-tolerance policy on match manipulation and is committed to protecting the integrity of football”.

The statement also further read: “As a result, Fifa will continue with its ongoing efforts to combat match manipulation through a variety of initiatives, which include the monitoring of international betting and a confidential reporting system with a dedicated integrity hotline and e-mail address.”

With regards to additional information on the World Cup qualifier between Bafana and Senegal, the Fifa communications department said it would provide it when it was available.

Contacted yesterday, Safa spokesperson Dominic Chimhavi said his association were not involved in the appointment of referees for the World Cup qualifiers and referred all questions to Caf and Fifa.

This week’s match-fixing allegations bring back into focus the 2010 scandal, where Fifa claimed the results of the friendly matches leading up to the World Cup hosted in SA that year were targeted and altered by convicted fraudster, Wilson Raj Perumal.

The national executive committee suspended five of its own Safa officials, including then president Kirsten Nematandani, in December 2012, before the decision was later reversed.

Fifa later handed out bans to Nematandani (six years), former Safa chief executive Leslie Sedibe (five years), two ex-head of referees Adeel Carelse and Steve Goddard (both two years), and the head of national teams Lindile “Ace” Kika (six years).