{"id":1285,"date":"2013-03-31T20:44:44","date_gmt":"2013-03-31T20:44:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disnaija.com\/nigeria-news\/south-africa-fifa-on-a-collision-course\/"},"modified":"2013-03-31T20:44:44","modified_gmt":"2013-03-31T20:44:44","slug":"south-africa-fifa-on-a-collision-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disnaija.com\/south-africa-fifa-on-a-collision-course\/","title":{"rendered":"South Africa, FIFA on a collision course"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

South African sports minister Fikile Mbalula is on a collision course with world football governing body FIFA over how to handle a pre-2010 World Cup match-fixing scandal.<\/p>\n

Mbalula wants an independent inquiry headed by a retired judge to delve into a FIFA report that claims four warm-up games involving Bafana Bafana (The Boys) were fixed by corrupt Kenyan, Nigerien and Togolese referees.<\/p>\n

But the Zurich-based body feels this amounts to government interference — something it bitterly opposes — and believes the South African Football Association (SAFA) must investigate itself.<\/p>\n

“SAFA approached us saying it wanted a judicial commission of inquiry. Now some mischievous people wrote to FIFA saying we are interfering. SAFA cannot be player and referee,” insisted Mbalula ahead of a visit to Zurich this week.<\/p>\n

National football association president Kirsten Nematandani said: “The decision of the national executive committee is that we want an independent commission of inquiry.”<\/p>\n

Nematandani was among five SAFA officials temporarily suspended after a FIFA report said convicted Singaporean match-fixer Wilson Perumal arranged friendlies against Thailand, Bulgaria, Guatemala and Colombia and chose the referees.<\/p>\n

South Africa won three of the games and drew the other, and those against Guatemala and Colombia were marred by a series of dubious penalties awarded to the home team.<\/p>\n

<\/img> <\/img> <\/img> <\/img> <\/div>\n

——————————————————————————————————————————————-
Posted in Nigeria News. <\/a>A DisNaija.Com<\/a> network.<\/p>\n

Source: PM News<\/p>\n

DisNaija.Com<\/b> publishes regular posts on Nigeria News,<\/a> Nigerian Newspapers,<\/a> Online Nigeria Gist.<\/a><\/p>\n

Follow us on Twitter<\/a> and Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Follow @Dis_Naija<\/a>
\n