South African Football Association president Kirsten Nematandani and four other leading officials have been suspended by football governing body FIFA for a match-fixing scandal.
Johannesburg/NationalTurk-Kirsten Nematandani, new SAFA chief executive officer Dennis Mumble and three others have been relieved of their duties while an investigation takes place in relation to their alleged part in the fixing of four matches South Africa played in 2010 before the world cup the country hosted.
The results of matches South Africa played against Thailand, Bulgaria, Colombia and Guatemala in the weeks leading before the 2010 World Cup were found to have been pre-arranged to benefit an Asian betting syndicate.
“These suspensions were necessary for good governance and for allowing this matter to be thoroughly and properly investigated,” said outgoing chief executive Robin Petersen, who was due to hand over to Mumble next month.
FIFA alledged that the whole plan of the match-fixing was masterminded by convicted Singaporean match fixer Wilson Raj Perumal and his Football 4U organisation.
SAFA told the press that according to the report it received from FIFA, the report indicated that the suspended officials engaged Perumal to organize opponents for South Africa’s national team as they prepared to host the World Cup, and then also agreed to Perumal’s suggestion he bring in and pay referees from other African countries to handle the matches.
The referees then fixed the results of the games to benefit an Asian betting syndicate, some of the matches filled with dubious penalty decisions and poor offside calls.
SAFA vice-president Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana has been asked to act as the interim until the inquiry of the matter is completed to clear the air.
“This is a difficult situation for the association, and for those who have been named in the report, we hope that there will be no speculation about their presumed guilt or otherwise. We need to allow the investigation to take place speedily and fairly, so those that are innocent can be separated from those who are not”, chief Nonkonyana said.
SAFA said it would ask a retired judge to take charge of an urgent commission of inquiry so that the issue can be quickly resolved.
The organization’s image has suffered in recent years from in-fighting between football politicians and near bankruptcy, with an independent audit firm brought in to run the body’s finances.
SAFA is however hoping a successful Nations Cup tournament which starts on January 19 and would help turn around its fortunes and recently unveiled a long-term development plan it is hoping to entice corporate sponsors.
Issaka Adams/NationalTurk Africa Sports News
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