Name soccer’s crooks

THE stench of the claim that South Africa paid a bribe to secure the rights to stage the 2010 Soccer World Cup is once more thick in the air. This time it is Fifa repeating allegations made by US attorney general Loretta Lynch last year that a prominent member or members of the 2010 local organising committee participated in some unscrupulous dealings.

Sadly, no new information has been brought forward, nothing beyond what came to light when the FBI swooped on Fifa officials and made several arrests of high-flying officials of the world soccer governing body.

The distressing thing about this story is that it seems the US law enforcement agency has the information at its disposal but has chosen to disseminate it in bits and pieces.

If it is indeed its strategy to release details in instalments, the US is doing everybody a great disservice. Keeping us in the dark serves only to deepen the mystery.

Fifa could likewise put us out of our misery and end the suspense by revealing the names of those implicated.

It must tell us who the crooks are so that the law can deal with them once and for all, and we can put this saga behind us. The sooner it does that, the better for everyone concerned.

Soccer is a sport that generates joy for billions of people across the globe. The so-called beautiful game’s image and reputation have been harmed by the double dealings of disgraced former Fifa president Sepp Blatter and his cronies.

The organisation needs a fresh start. For it to move forward, it must make a complete break with its ugly past. Part of that requires full disclosure of the crooks who cooked the corruption broth.