September 5 – South African officials say they are becoming increasingly frustrated by a match-fixing saga that has been dragging on for four years and has still not been resolved.
Earlier this year, after a lengthy investigation into the activities of the notorious and currently jailed Singapore criminal Wilson Raj Perumal and his Football 4U organisation, FIFA found in a 500-page report that 2010 World Cup warm-ups played by South Africa against Bulgaria, Thailand, Colombia and Guatemala were all fixed.
Called before the country’s parliamentary portfolio committee this week, Sports and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula said the ball was still in FIFA’s court and that the South African Football Federation could face suspension if government were to interfere with its own inquiry.
“FIFA needs to give us direction. The investigation is in their hands. I won’t tell you lies and say I have got time frames,” he said. “We have had no communication from FIFA. We need feedback.”
The committee reserved its right to take the extraordinary step of calling FIFA to Parliament. “We want to bring an end to this matter,” said SAFA chief Danny Jordaan.
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