South African football was embroiled in another scandal on Monday, when Fifa said the national team’s World Cup qualifying win over Senegal in 2016 was fixed, leaving the legacy of the country’s hosting of the 2010 finals in further turmoil. In banning Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey for life, world soccer’s governing body said the outcome of SA’s 2-1 home win in African Group D in November had been contrived. The official was found guilty of unlawfully influencing the match result after handing SA a soft penalty for a handball just before halftime and allowing a second goal in controversial circumstances from a quickly taken free-kick soon after in a qualifying match for the 2018 finals in Russia. Who had influenced Lamptey to help SA win the match was not dealt with in Fifa’s statement. However, the world ruling body did say: "Further information concerning the SA vs Senegal match in question will be provided once the decision becomes final and binding ." Fifa officials, who did n...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.