Cape Town, March 2 (IANS) A FIFA delegation arrived in South Africa as part of a global tour to investigate match fixing.
The delegation, led by Chris Eaton, will spend four days in South Africa to engage with a number of key individuals for suspected involvement in match fixing.
The investigation in SA would focus on the refereeing and outcome of the four friendly games that the South African football team Bafana Bafana played in the final build up to the World Cup, Xinhua reported.
Match fixing was suspected in the games, during which South African Football Association (SAFA) intervened and appointed their own officials, to replace the international referees recruited and supplied by Football4U, for the fifth and final friendly versus Denmark.
SAFA has reportedly agreed to open its records to the investigators in relation to the games.
“We are doing all we can to help FIFA resolve the issue regarding the Bafana games and to do all in our power to wipe out corrupt practices in football in South Africa, if there is any,” said SAFA President Kirsten Nematandani.
SAFA CEO Robin Petersen called for help in the investigation, saying that “anyone who has not already been contacted but who believes that they have material evidence to offer are invited to urgently contact my office”.
“We have complete confidence in the integrity and thoroughness of the FIFA process and will assist in whatever way we can to get to the truth,” he said.
“We would also like to emphasize that SAFA is not, at this stage, undertaking a parallel process either internally or through an independent body,” he added. “We trust that all parties will respect the FIFA process and allow it to reach its logical conclusion.”
