FIFA confirms South Africa and Senegal qualifier will be replayed
The original game, which was played on November 2016, was, according to FIFA, manipulated by Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey.
The Organizing Committee for FIFA Competitions has confirmed the decision to replay the World Cup qualifier between South Africa and Senegal.
The original match, played on November 2016, was, according to FIFA, manipulated by the Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey, who awarded a penalty to South Africa after a non-existent foul by Senegal.
“The committee confirmed the decision of the Bureau for FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, which had ordered a replay of the qualification match between South Africa and Senegal held on 12 November 2016,” Fifa said in a statement on Thursday.
“This confirmation came after the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the lifetime ban of match referee Joseph Lamptey for match manipulation, the ruling imposed by the FIFA Disciplinary and Appeal Committees. The match will be replayed during the November 2017 international window, with the exact date to be confirmed in due course.”
Last week, the South African Football Association (SAFA) confirmed that they will not be appealing any decision made by FIFA regarding this event.
Replay costs will be covered completely by FIFA
World football’s governing body has agreed to pay a minimum of R5 million to the South African Football Association.
SAFA’s CEO, Dennis Mumble, revealed that FIFA promised to cover the bill completely.
“They have confirmed to us that they will pick up the tab of that match,” said Mumble. “They realize that we were not at fault and these are wasted costs for us."
“For any international match, it depends on the venue and the location, but it costs us a minimum of R5 million to put a single Bafana Bafana match together. It involves the stadium hire, it involves transportation. The further out the match goes from Johannesburg we must fly out the visiting team to the destination as well.”
The match will be played on a date that SAFA was saving to host the Nelson Mandela Annual Challenge, a yearly friendly match between South Africa and an invited visiting team.