Fifa hunts for match-fixers
ALMOST two years after Bafana Bafana's suspect pre-World Cup matches were played, Fifa and Safa are taking it seriously enough to open an investigation.
ON HIS WAY TO SA:Fifa chief investigator Chris EatonBy handing the information over shows we have co-operated with Fifa. That's as far as our role goes
The results of games played in May 2010 against Guatemala, Thailand, Bulgaria and Colombia were allegedly fixed by a Singaporean crook, Wilson Ray Perumal, who has since been jailed in Finland for manipulating games in that country.
Fifa's chief investigator Chris Eaton will visit South Africa early next month to follow up leads in the case. Eaton has been leading Fifa's global fight against match-fixing.
Safa chief executive Robin Petersen said his organisation would not be conducting an investigation and had handed relevant documents to Fifa.
"We did this a long time ago after we were aware that our games were targeted for match-fixing," said Petersen.
"By handing the information over shows we have co-operated with Fifa. That's as far as our role goes."
Earlier this week, senior Safa official Lindile "Ace" Kika said the matches had probably been targeted by Asian online bookmakers and match-fixers.
Perumal reached a deal with Safa to supply referees for the May 2010 matches through a shadowy group called Football4U. It was subsequently discovered that Perumal was a fugitive from justice in Singapore.
He mastermined what investigators believe to be a worldwide match-fixing operation from a flat near Wembley Stadium in London. After allegations of corruption in the four Bafana matches, Fifa and Safa held talks on Tuesday and decided to prioritise investigations into the game, according to a statement by Safa.
"We are pleased to confirm that Fifa security head Mr Chris Eaton has consented to our request and will include South Africa in a visit to Southern Africa in the first week of March," said acting Safa president Mwelo Nonkonyana.
Eaton, who has led Fifa investigations into match-fixing in Finland, Italy, South Korea, Turkey and Zimbabwe, visited Southern Africa late last year in connection with the Zimbabwe scandal.
Since then more than 80 Zimbabwean players have been implicated in match-fixing and a former Zimbabwe Football Association chief executive, Henriette Rushwaya, appeared in a Harare court on Monday charged with match-fixing. She is out on bail until her next appearance on February 20.
This week the Zimbabwe Football Association suspended national coach Norman Mapeza and his assistant Joey Antipas. In a 2011 report, ZFA said Antipas had admitted in sworn statements to taking money to lose games.
The Fifa investigation into the Bafana matches comes in a week when a new report into match-fixing has revealed evidence of widespread corruption in parts of Europe.
Fifpro, the worldwide union for professional footballers, conducted a survey of thousands of players in Eastern and Southern Europe and found that almost a quarter of players (23.6%) were aware of match-fixing in their leagues. The findings will cause particular concern for 2018 World Cup hosts Russia, where that figure is as high as 43.5%.
According to a BBC report, the investigation found that 11.9% of footballers had been approached to consider fixing the result of a game, with that figure reaching 30.3% in Greece.
"These are very worrying results," said Fifpro director Anthony Higgins.
"A massive wake-up call for football, including in Western Europe."
Mhungumbye
Safa chief executive Robin Petersen said his organisation would not be conducting an investigation and had handed relevant documents to Fifa.***************************************************************************************************************
Not BB only is invovlve in match fixing and PSL teams are also involved, remember when masilela was denied a legitimate goal by a ref who now I believe he was fixed, Goal keeping of Arthur zwane, the list is endless. Phela this match fixers get millions of rands out of this malicious practice. Investigate PSL guys please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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WarrenG
The hunt is over...we find Sepp Blatter guilty of lies deceit and corruption. Jail.How hard can that be?
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Pencil
But we still want to see minister involved as he did with cricket scandal.Or is maybe because could be black people involved this time hence he decided to keep a distance?Report Abuse
Fizas
@Not BB only is invovlve in match fixing and PSL teams are also involved, remember when masilela was denied a legitimate goal by a ref who now I believe he was fixed
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I still remember that game, was one of the most hurtful games for us sandawanas!
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