* Referees provided for friendlies by match fixers
* No South African players complicit
* Further embarrassment for embattled FA
(adds byline, quotes, more details)
By Mark Gleeson
CAPE TOWN, March 5 (Reuters) – South Africa were duped into
allowing an Asian match fixing syndicate to provide them with
referees for a series of warm-up games before they hosted the
2010 World Cup, FIFA security chief Chris Eaton said on Monday.
The outcome of friendly internationals against Thailand,
Colombia, Bulgaria and Guatemala in the weeks leading up to the
tournament are all in question after FIFA found the match
officials had been provided by a Singapore-based company,
fronting for match fixers.
Eaton said the South African Football Association had taken
up an offer from Wilson Perumal, who has since been convicted in
Finland on match fixing charges, to use his company for the
procurement of referees for the games.
“It is clear that the convicted criminal and football
match-fixer, Wilson Raj Perumal, was involved in convincing SAFA
to agree to a company then managed by him (Football4U) to
select, fund and appoint referees to certain international
matches played in 2010, which are now under investigation,”
Eaton said in a statement released on his behalf by the South
Africans on Monday.
Continued…
