South African FA chief suspended after organisation infiltrated by match-fixer
By MARTYN ZIEGLER, PRESS ASSOCIATION
PUBLISHED: 19:01 GMT, 17 December 2012 | UPDATED: 19:01 GMT, 17 December 2012
PUBLISHED: 19:01 GMT, 17 December 2012 | UPDATED: 19:01 GMT, 17 December 2012
'Voluntary leave': Kirsten Nematandani
The head of the South African Football Association and four other officials have been suspended after a FIFA report into match-fixing ahead of the 2010 World Cup found 'compelling evidence' that friendly internationals were fixed by Far East betting syndicates.SAFA president Kirsten Nematandani has been asked to 'take a voluntary leave of absence from his position', said the governing body, and four officials have been suspended.The body also admitted it had been infiltrated by convicted match-fixer Wilson Perumal Raj and his company Football4U which fixed games for Asian betting syndicates. It was Perumal who organised the referees for the games.
The SAFA said in a statement: 'The (association's) committee resolved to write to FIFA and acknowledge that, through the actions of members of its staff during the warm-up matches prior to the FIFA 2010 World Cup, there is a prima facie breach of FIFA Statute 13.1 (g), which prohibits the control of its affairs by an outside party, in this case Football 4U International controlled by Singaporean Wilson Perumal Raj and his criminal syndicate.'The committee also noted that the appointment of Football 4U International was never brought to the attention of the SAFA NEC.
'SAFA apologised to FIFA, and undertook to take the urgent and serious actions to deal with the matter.'
Happy memories: South Africa in action at their home World Cup against France in June 2010... but this game came just weeks after two suspicious matches
South Africa's 5-0 win over Guatemala and 2-1 win over Colombia in May 2010 - two weeks before the World Cup kicked off - have long been under suspicion. Three penalties for handball were awarded by Niger referee Ibrahim Chaibou in the South Africa v Guatemala game - FIFA has been seeking Chaibou for more than a year for questioning over his handling of several matches. All three goals in the South Africa v Colombia match, refereed by a Kenyan official, came from penalty kicks.
