Bafana will replay Senegal due to match manipulation

Fifa tells SA's soccer bosses 2-1 Senegal fix was carried out on behalf of betting syndicates

13 September 2017 - 07:38 By MARC STRYDOM
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"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, said Safa president Danny Jordaan.
"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, said Safa president Danny Jordaan.
Image: SIMON MATHEBULA

The SA Football Association on Tuesday announced it would not appeal a Fifa decision that Bafana Bafana have to replay their 2-1 World Cup qualifying win against Senegal.

Safa president Danny Jordaan and legal committee head Norman Arendse said the decision was taken at an emergency committee meeting on Monday.

They said the decision was taken on moral and ethical grounds of not wanting to benefit from match manipulation, even though Fifa had not established any wrongdoing on the part of South Africa.

Fifa told Safa that the match manipulation was carried out on behalf of betting syndicates.

Jordaan and Arendse said there were legal grounds for an appeal, such as Safa not being cited to give testimony and that the committee that made the ruling had no jurisdiction to.

"We held an emergency committee meeting yesterday because we felt this match impacted on football and set a precedent significant enough for us to convene," Jordaan said.

"We also asked Norman Arendse to look at all legal provisions around this.

"Moral and ethical issues were raised. In that regard, the matter was simple - if this match was tampered with, do you as Bafana and Safa want those points?

"It was a moral and ethical question. Yesterday that matter was dealt with substantially.

"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," the Safa president said.

Referee Joseph Odartei Lamptey, who handled the match in Polokwane, received a lifetime ban from Fifa for match manipulation.

The Ghanaian ref is appealing that decision in court in Zurich and Arendse said Safa would monitor that appeal with regard to their own decision not to appeal.

He said a decision to annul a result for the reason of match manipulation by Fifa was unprecedented.

Safa CEO Dennis Mumble said the game would have to be played in November before the away match in Senegal on November 6.

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