Former South African Football Association (Safa) president Kirsten Nematandani faces at least a six-year ban from football and 10 000 Swiss Francs (R140 000) fine after being found to have contravened Fifa’s Code of Ethics over the alleged fixing of matches in the build-up to the 2010 World Cup.
Fifa’s Ethics Committee made a recommendation of the sanctions on Wednesday‚ though they must still be ratified by the organisation’s adjudicatory chamber before they are carried out.
The Ethics Committee also recommended life bans for the former head of the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) Jonathan Musavengana and Banna Tchanile‚ former coach of the national team of Togo.
The investigation into the conduct of the trio was led by the deputy chairman of the investigatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee‚ Djimbaraye Bourngar from Chad.
He found Nematandani guilty of “an apparent violation of art. 13 pars 1-4 (General Rules of Conduct)‚ art. 15 (Loyalty) and art. 18 (Duty of Disclosure‚ Cooperation and Reporting) of the FIFA Code of Ethics (FCE)‚” according to a statement.
The investigations follow the alleged manipulation of pre-World Cup qualifiers in South Africa by convicted match-fixer Wilson Raj Perumal through his company Football4U.
Perumal entered into an agreement with Safa‚ of which Nematandani was president at the time‚ to provide referees for warm-up matches against Bulgaria‚ Colombia‚ Guatemala and Denmark.
Perumal had admitted on his own memoir‚ Kelong Kings‚ that some of these games were manipulated by match officials he had paid in order to favour Asian betting syndicates.
No exact details have yet been given by FIFA of what Nematandani stands accused of‚ but the articles in the FIFA Code of Ethics read as follows:
ARTICLE 13 – GENERAL RULES OF CONDUCT
1. Persons bound by this Code are expected to be aware of the importance of
their duties and concomitant obligations and responsibilities.
2. Persons bound by this Code are obliged to respect all applicable laws and regulations as well as FIFA’s regulatory framework to the extent applicable to them.
3. Persons bound by this Code shall show commitment to an ethical attitude. They shall behave in a dignified manner and act with complete credibility and integrity.
4. Persons bound by this Code may not abuse their position in any way‚ especially to take advantage of their position for private aims or gains.
ARTICLE 15 – LOYALTY
Persons bound by this Code shall have a judiciary duty to FIFA‚ the
confederations‚ associations‚ leagues and clubs.
ARTICLE 18 – DUTY OF DISCLOSURE‚ COOPERATION AND REPORTING
1. Persons bound by this Code shall immediately report any potential breach of this Code to the secretariat of the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee.
2. At the request of the Ethics Committee‚ persons bound by this Code are obliged to contribute to clarifying the facts of the case or clarifying possible breaches and‚ in particular‚ to declare details of their income and provide the evidence requested for inspection.
Nematandani was not available for comment when contacted by Times Media Digital and did not respond to messages.
Fifa have already banned former Safa CEO Leslie Sedibe for five years and fined him 20 000 Swiss francs (R280 000) for his role in the scandal.
Meanwhile‚ Steve Goddard and Adeel Carelse‚ both former heads of the SAFA’s refereeing department‚ were each banned for two years and former SAFA executive committee member and head of referees Lindile “Ace” Kika for six years. — TMG Sport
