Friday, March 29, 2024

South Africa agree to replay World Cup qualifier after referee ban

SoccerNews in General Soccer News 12 Sep 2017

98 Views

The South African Football Association (SAFA) has accepted FIFA’s decision to replay a World Cup qualifier against Senegal after the match referee was handed a lifetime ban for match-fixing.

Ghanaian official Joseph Lamptey was expelled from football for allegedly manipulating Bafana Bafana’s 2-1 win in the November 2016 encounter.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Lamptey’s ban, leading FIFA to last week confirm a replay after clearing both nations of any wrongdoing.

SAFA had considered appealing the verdict, but has now agreed it should not benefit from the result on “moral and ethical” grounds.

“Therefore, we have decided that we will comply with the FIFA directive to replay the match against Senegal at a date to be decided,” SAFA said in a statement.

“We have, however, noted that the official at the centre of all this controversy has appealed his case to the courts of law and if the courts overturn the decision, everything becomes null and void and SAFA will reserve its right to challenge the decision of FIFA to replay the match.

“SAFA’s zero tolerance on corrupt activities within football are well documented and it is in this light that we decided to comply with the FIFA directive.”

The match will be replayed during the November international window, with Senegal in strong contention to leapfrog Burkina Faso into Group D’s qualification spot.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SoccerNews

Soccernews.com is news blog for soccer with comprehensive coverage of all the major leagues in Europe, as well as MLS in the United States. In addition we offer breaking news for transfers and transfer rumors, ticket sales, betting tips and offers, match previews, and in-depth editorials.

You can follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/soccernews.com or Twitter: @soccernewsfeed.

SHARE OR COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE

WE RECOMMEND

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This field is required *

Join the conversation!

or Register

Live Scores

advertisement

Betting Guide Advertisement

advertisement

Become a Writer
More More
Top