Video: South African football hit by new match-fixing claim

  • 21/03/2017

South African football has been embroiled in another scandal with a referee found guilty of fixing the national team's 2-1 World Cup qualifying win over Senegal last year.

FIFA have banned Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey for life, ruling the outcome of South Africa's 2-1 home win in African Group D qualifying in November had been contrived.

The official was found guilty of unlawfully influencing the result after handing Bafana Bafana a soft penalty for handball just before half-time and later allowing a second goal in controversial circumstances from a quickly taken free- kick.

Who had influenced Lamptey to help South Africa win the match was not addressed in FIFA's statement on Monday, but the result leaves a huge stain on the country which hosted the 2010 finals.

"Further information concerning the South Africa v Senegal match in question will be provided once the decision becomes final and binding," a FIFA statement read.           

FIFA officials, who did not want to be named, told Reuters the match-fixing was uncovered following irregular betting activity.

The South African Football Association (SAFA) did not respond on Monday to questions about the match-fixing allegations.

The revelation follows allegations South Africa paid a $US10-million ($A13 million) bribe to help secure the rights to the 2010 World Cup and that officials were duped by an Asian betting syndicate over the results of warm-up matches before the finals.

Although South Africa's SpAorts Minister Fikile Mbalula rejected the bribery allegation a year ago, the scandals have tarnished the legacy of the World Cup.

Separately, a post-2010 World Cup investigation revealed the outcome of several of South Africa's pre-tournament friendlies were manipulated after African soccer officials were duped into using referees paid by a Singapore-based betting syndicate.

Several African officials, including a former SAFA president, have been banned by FIFA over the affair.

Reuters.