The South African Football Association (SAFA) said they would cooperate with FIFA if the world ruling body of football conducts an investigation into game fixing with regards to two of its warm up games before the World Cup.
SAFA said they hoped their games against Guatemala and Colombia were fair. SAFA condemned in their strongest ways the match-fixing allegation during the friendlies and pledged its support to FIFA to eliminate the scourge of fixing.
SAFA said in the statement that as things are they want to think the matches were played with fairplay and the outcome of an investigation will there were efforts put forward by both respective teams.
This statement followed a Sunday report that said both of South Africa’s friendlies were under suspicion as part of a bigger FIFA probe into world football match fixing. The world ruling body had no comment on the legitimacy of the South Africa 5-0 victory over Guatemala.
The game included three penalties for handballs. However FIFA also said they are investigating a friendly earlier this month between Argentina and Nigeria with Nigeria winning 4-1 which had very suspicious betting patterns.
SAFA denied they knew anything of the investigation by FIFA into the two friendlies but did promise stern action against anyone of their own officials if any were in fact involved.
Should any administrative members of their staff be found to have been involved with the friendlies the Association will without any hesitation take the appropriate measures against the culprits to protect its integrity and for the game’s good.
Both the Nigeria-Argentina and the South Africa-Guatemala games were handled by the same official, the Nigerian Ibrahim Chaibou. None of the players have been accused of any wrong doing. The same official, Chaibou was also referee when Bahrain beat a fake Togo team 3-0 last September.