The Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) has banned Ghanaian referee Joseph Odartei Lamptey for life after being found guilty of unlawfully influencing a match result. He is ordered not to take part in any kind of football-related activity.
The official was found guilty of breaching art. 69 par. 1 (unlawfully influencing match results) of the FIFA Disciplinary Code during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia qualifying match between South Africa and Senegal on November 12, 2016.
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.”
FIFA has also ordered the World Cup qualifier between South Africa and Senegal to be replayed in November, with the exact date to be confirmed in due course.
South Africa won 2-1 over Senegal in an African qualifying Group D clash in November last year.
The referee previously served a six-month ban, imposed by CAF, for wrongly awarding a goal during a CAF Champions League semi-final in 2010.
This is a blow to South Africa’s World Cup chances, and they were already at the bottom of their group even with the only win.
The South African Football Association has denied all wrongdoing but will consider FIFA’s report before deciding whether or not to launch an appeal.
