The South Africa Football Association (SAFA) hopes justice will prevail after it launched an appeal with FIFA and CAF to have the 1-0 loss to Ghana in the World Cup qualifier on Sunday replayed.
SAFA is convinced that the match against Ghana at Cape Coast Sports Stadium was fixed and wants the football bodies to investigate the conduct of the match officials.
Senegalese referee Maguette Ndiaye and his assistants Elhadji Malick, Camara Djibril and Gueye Daouda (fourth referee) were accused of making questionable decisions during the match.
In 2017, South Africa had to replay their World Cup qualifier after a FIFA review discovered that referee Joseph Lamptey awarded a penalty for a non-existent handball during their match against Senegal at Peter Mokaba Stadium in 2016.
The match was replayed at Peter Mokaba Stadium, with South Africa losing out after they had won the initial tie. Senegal eventually won the group and made it to Russia 2018.
Lamptey was banned for life for match manipulation and SAFA CEO Tebogo Motlanthe feels South Africa’s game on Sunday was also manipulated and is hoping for the same outcome.
“I think from our heart, it is to say the match officials have decided the game which is not what is supposed to happen,” Motlanthe told SAFA media after the game.
“So we as the association, have decided that we would be writing to both CAF and FIFA first to investigate how the game was handled. Secondly, to also challenge some of these decisions, so we have agreed that as we did last night [Sunday].
“We have already registered with match commissioner [Kachalla Babagana Kalli] that we would be writing a formal complaint and we will have a press conference after we have ticked all our boxes.
“We will submit a full complaint which is supported by all the evidence which were there to say the game either was indeed manipulated or the referee has done something wrong before that game.
“But we are very disappointed with their actions. We can’t leave it and destroy the players when we have a chance to challenge it. We will challenge it.”
After writing a complaint to CAF and FIFA, SAFA will brief the country on their plans tomorrow in a press conference.
“We will get an expert who will dissect other incidents so we can make a strong case. We are also looking at when FIFA ordered us to replay Senegal and we think if justice needs to be served the same decision should apply.”
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COMMENTS
That penalty call was malicious.It wasn’t a penalty,there was hardly a contact like the referee was waiting for a minimal contact or any contact whatsoever to award Ghana a penalty it’s a shame.
Not surprised South Africa felt hard done by.The penalty was dubious.
Nigeria had similar situation against Liberia because we won we weren’t bothered to even talk about it.
I hope we have a fair officiating this evening at the Teslim Balogun stadium.
https://youtu.be/KJeSOcRAI2k?t=37
Shee we can all see now? With VAR, that penalty wouldn’t have been allowed. Too bad Africa as a continent hasn’t deployed such technology. That match should be replayed.
It seems often times people have eyes but cannot see, in this video you can see the SA defender’s hand on the Ghana Amartey shoulder tugging him from behind, and the referee was in close and direct vision to the incident hence rightly called for a penalty because that was a good attempt to hit the ball goalies which was impeded.
Let’s not just follow sentiments without any due diligence and critical analysis. Why are they only showing one video angle? Is there only on camera in that stadium for that match?
When you look at the referee’s position in relation to the incidence you will realise that he surely saw something we couldn’t see clearly. And watch the reaction of the defender immediately after the tug on opponent shoulder.
Surely SA cannot win this case after proper video analysis, except if Motsepe will use his position as CAF President to sway the decision.
I know most Nigerians crying foul on this are doing so because we’d be happier to possibly meet Bafana instead of Ghana
The touch wasn’t enuf for a penalty. It was simply an act of simulation by Daniel Amarthy who should have incurred the wrath of the referee.
The point is there was a touch(pulling)
Well you can say what you like.But my opinion is based solely on what i saw,has nothing to do with preferring a weak opposition over a strong one should we meet in the later stages of the playoffs.
Rightly there was contact but not enough to award a penalty.It was too soft and I feel sorry for the South African.
I would have said the same if it happened against the Ghanaians.
You succeeded in typing nonsense. It should’ve been in 4 lines at worst. Go back to the clip.
It’s reali stupid of you to want to make a case out of nothing..so the defender in front he also failed to jump or decided to duck the ball in ur mindset? If u talking abt the hand de reuck used the way that guy fell does it look like he was pushed or is it stamping? Which one?
In as much I hate does SA baboon, judging by this video, that’s no where near a penalty habba.
Nigeria too should SHARP SHARP lodge a complaint with CAF to replay the 1988 Afcon final. That penalty awarded to Cameroon was daylight robbery. Even worse, Henry Nwosu’s goal was wrongly disallowed.
The 1998 Afcon final needs to be replayed asap. Hahahahahaha!
also the year 2000 afcon final has to be replayed as well. Lol
Does anyone notice the triangle of countries involved this controversial match and the other one SAFA president referred to during WCQ for Russia 2018. Still Ghana, South Africa and Senegal. SAFA is implying/suggesting there’s some sort of underhand political dealings/agreement between the West African brothers that dates back to 2017.
First incident – 2017. WCQ for Russia 2018. South Africa Vs Senegal.
Ref: Ghanaian.
Outcome: South Africa won controversially. Senegal protested to CAF/FIFA. Prayer was granted and match replayed with Senegal coming up tops.
Ghanaian ref was banned for life.
Second Incident – 2022. WCQ for Qatar 2022. Ghana Vs South Africa.
Ref: Senegalese
Outcome: Ghana won controversially. South Africa is protesting to CAF/FIFA, hoping their prayer will be granted and match replayed with they coming up tops.
The SA player may have tugged at Daniel Amartey’s jersey but the Ghanaian simulated, made a meal of the slight touch.
Day light robbery
The match was not fixed but it was obviously not a penalty.. VAR will have easily detected that..
Referees are humans and they make mistakes , there have been worse errors in the past in football prior to the introduction of VAR.
It is time to introduce VAR to world cup qualifiers in Africa.. South Africa have been denied a world cup place due to an avoidable error.. yes there was contact but it is enough to result to a penalty. It was not even a push just a mere touch at the back and amarthy decided to be dramatic forcing to referee to call a penalty.
Very sad for south Africa but this will send the right signal for introduction of VAR in qualifiers
VAR is surely needed….. though it has it own pit falls as seen in some European league…. Premier league not left out here.
We ve seen 2 similar incidence( almost same scenario) but different judgement from VAR….
If you watched the flight of the ball as it came to Amartey, the ball actually touched his right hand (the one with the white bandage) before he took his tumble.
I think Amartey fell over to cover up the hand ball and acted like he was pushed from behind. Fortunately for him, the ref fell for it.
Abeggy the same SA ke. the same SA wey dey kill our African Brothers and Sisters like say dem be GOAT meat 4 slaughter. wettin consign us and SA again??. Instead of focusing on Cape Verde!!. even Ghana sef go still chop dem in a replay so what.
This is football let them protest if they have the right. Atleast it shows they have competent FA unlike the bunch liabilities we have over here in Nigeria who are only good at interfering in coaches list
This was never a penalty. South Africa was robbed. Very Sad for them. VAR should please be introduced for the Africa playoffs in March, and hopefully, this game should be replayed again.