Former SAFA president blames match fixing on gambling ring

After Fifa announced bans on South African Football Association (Safa) officers from all football activity, its former President, Kirsten Nematandani, declared a gambling ring was behind match fixing.

South Africa.- Yesterday (Monday,) Fifa announced that current Proudly South African Chief Executive Officer, Leslie Sedibe, has received a five-year ban, whilst former Safa officials Adeel Carelse and Steve Goddard have received a two-year ban from all football activity. The bans are connected to international friendlies played in South Africa in 2010, in which alleged match fixing took place.

After the announcement, former South African Football Association (Safa) President Kirsten Nematandani, affirmed it was an international gambling ring that initiated the alleged match fixing, influencing locals.

“This is not an issue initiated by our fellow South Africans; these were people from outside who are doing gambling and probably use whatever means they have to try and involve our people,” Nematandani said. “Whether they knew or not, is another issue.”

The probe against former football officials of Safa was initiated on November 2014, by Cornel Borbély, chairman of the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee, in collaboration with the Fifa Security Division. The investigation led to the proceedings against Lindile Kika, which were ruled in October 2015 when Kika was banned from all football-related activities for six years by the adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee.

The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee released a statement saying that the ban on the three officials from all football-related activities are at both national and international level. All three bans come into force immediately.