Safa decides not to appeal against Fifa decision for match replay
We felt this match impacts on football and sets a precedent significant enough for us to convene
THE SA Football Association will not appeal against a Fifa decision that Bafana Bafana need to replay their 2-1 World Cup qualifying win against Senegal‚ Safa said yesterday.
Safa president Danny Jordaan and legal committee head Norman Arendse said the decision not to appeal against the annulment of the game‚ played in November last year in Polokwane‚ was taken at an emergency committee meeting.
They said the decision was taken on moral and ethical grounds of the association, which did not want to benefit from match manipulation‚ even if Fifa had established no wrongdoing on the part of South Africa.
Fifa has conveyed to Safa that the match manipulation was carried out on behalf of betting syndicates.
Jordaan said there were legal grounds for an appeal‚ such as Safa never being cited to give their testimony‚ and the committee that made the ruling for a replay not having the jurisdiction to do so.
“We held a meeting of the emergency committee yesterday‚ because we felt this match impacts on football and sets a precedent significant enough for us to convene‚” Jordaan said.
“We also asked advocate Norman Arendse to look at all legal provisions around this.
“It was a moral and ethical question.
“The outcome of the emergency meeting was quite clear: No‚ we do not want to be recipients if there is evidence that a match was manipulated.
“Therefore, we agree with Fifa that the match must be replayed.” Referee Joseph Odartei Lamptey‚ who handled the match in Polokwane‚ received a lifetime ban from Fifa for match manipulation.
The Ghanaian referee is appealing against that decision in court in Zurich. Arendse said Safa would monitor that appeal‚ with regard to their own decision to not appeal.
Arendse said a decision to annul a result for the reason of match manipulation by Fifa was unprecedented.
Safa chief executive Dennis Mumble said the replayed home game would have to be played in November‚ before the away match in Senegal, scheduled for November 6.