Referee banned for life for match-fixing in World Cup qualifier

Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey has been banned for life for match manipulation in a World Cup qualifier, soccer’s governing body Fifa have announced.

Fifa said Lamptey was found guilty of unlawfully influencing a match result following South Africa’s 2-1 win over Senegal in November in African Group D.

Fifa did not give further details but African soccer’s governing body (CAF) said at the time that Lamptey had wrongly awarded a penalty to the South Africans and suspended him for three months.

CAF said that Lamptey was guilty of “poor performance” in the match and “awarded a wrong penalty for handball despite the fact that the ball never touched the hand of the player”.

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Thulani Hlatshwayo converted the penalty in the 42nd minute and Thulani Serero added another goal three minutes later.

Lamptey previously served a six-month ban, imposed by CAF, for wrongly awarding a goal during a CAF Champions League semi-final in 2010.

South Africa’s win left them level with Burkina Faso on four points from two games in the group with Senegal on three and Cape Verde on none.

Fifa did not say whether the result would stand or whether it would order a replay.

“Further information concerning the South Africa v Senegal match in question will be provided once the decision becomes final and binding,” it said.