The Nation Newspaper

Tag: MATCH-FIXING

  • Match fixing: FIFA bans three S/Africa football officials

    Match fixing: FIFA bans three S/Africa football officials

    FIFA on Monday banned three more South African officials over match-fixing scandal, prior to the 2010 World Cup.

    It confirmed that former South African Football Association (SAFA) CEO Leslie Sedibe has been banned for five years following a lengthy probe into match-fixing. In addition, he was fined 20,000 Swiss Francs.

    Global football’s governing body has also imposed a two-year ban on SAFA officials, Steve Goddard and Adeel Carelse. FIFA last year banned former former SAFA head of national teams Lindile Kika from all football-related activities for six years.

    The probe was into friendly matches that South Africa played on the eve of the 2010 World Cup, which were fixed by convicted Singaporean match-fixer Wilson Raj Perumal.

    South Africa is also under investigation over the corruption scandal that toppled FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

    Danny Jordaan, president of the SA Football Association and the association’s former president, Molefi Oliphant have been accused of facilitating a 10 million dollar bribe to the North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) in return for votes to host the 2010 World Cup.

    Oliphant headed the association when South Africa bid for the rights to host the showpiece of international football, while Jordaan is widely credited with securing the country the rights.

    Charles Blazer, a former member of FIFA’s executive committee has admitted that he and others “on the FIFA executive committee agreed to accept bribes in conjunction with the selection of South Africa as the host nation for the 2010 World Cup”.

    FIFA’s member associations last month approved a package of landmark reforms that pave the way for significant improvements to the governance of global football, including a clear separation of commercial and political decision-making, greater scrutiny of senior officials, and commitments to promoting women in football and human rights.

    The reforms were supported by 179 of the 207 member associations.

  • Sone Aluko leads FIFA anti match-fixing campaign

    Sone Aluko leads FIFA anti match-fixing campaign

    Nigerian international, Sone Aluko is among those fronting a new campaign to tackle match-fixing in football.

    The Super Eagles winger is one of a number of high-profile stars taking part in the new initiative between Interpol and Fifa – the sport’s governing body – which seeks to educate players about the dangers of getting involved with organised crime gangs.

    The campaign will distribute a 15-minute DVD to participants featuring two players who have been approached by match-fixers as well Aluko, Frank Lampard and Kolo Toure, FIFA said in a statement on its website.

    In April, a Malaysian man who organized an international match-fixing syndicate involving Australian games in 2013 was jailed for at least a year.

    Also earlier this year, a friendly between Scotland and Nigeria was at the centre of a match-fixing probe after the National Crime Agency contacted the Scottish Football Association in the run-up to the match.

    “By the time any investigation into alleged match-fixing begins, the damage has already been done,’’ Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble said in the statement.

    “This is why it is essential that the first line of defence — the players and others who control what happens on the pitch — is strengthened.”

    According to a study of Eastern European soccer by FIFPro in 2012, 12 percent of the 3,357 players interviewed had been approached to fix games, and out of those 55 percent didn’t have their salaries paid on time.

  • Match-fixing scandal: Ike Uche is prime suspect -media report

    Match-fixing scandal: Ike Uche is prime suspect -media report

    Nigeria striker Ike Uche has been fingered in a match-fixing scandal, according to Spanish newspaper El Mundo.

    Uche’s club then Real Zaragoza beat Levante 2-1 on the final day of the 2010/11 season to avoid relegation, while Levante and Deportivo La Coruna were demoted as a result.

    Atletico Madrid captain Gabi, who scored Zaragoza’s two goals on that fateful day, confessed to a judge yesterday that he was aware the match was fixed.

    “I just did what the club asked me to do,” the 29-year-old midfielder simply said in court, according to El Mundo.

    It is suspected that Levante players were paid to lose the match.

    And the spotlight of this trial has fallen on Agapito Iglesias, the then owner of Zaragoza, Leonardo Ponzio, Leo Franco and Uche, according to El Mundo.

    The prosecutor wants to question at least 20 players in this match-fixing trial.

  • Match-fixing… not again!

    The die is cast. Mind games now rule the media. Every team dreams about lifting  the World Cup on July 13. It is five days to the opening game of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. No country can change her 23-man squad. Errors made can’t be corrected. Pundits have begun their permutations. But the disturbing news from FIFA is that of match-fixing. I wouldn’t have been worried if our beloved country, Nigeria, had not been listed among match-fixers, albeit allegedly with some unscrupulous chaps admitting to under-cover investigators that they can dubiously influence the result of Nigeria’s World Cup matches.

    I’m sad because all our World Cup matches will be under the spotlight. This will put our players under needless pressure. It will also smear whatever results we get, especially if we win handsomely or lose so woefully. We don’t deserve this perception, not now when our players have excelled for their European clubs. Innocent errors will be misconstrued as match-fixing. If any player scores a long range shot which should be the talking point of the Mundial, there is the possibility of some people winking than a deserved applause.

    Unlike in previous allegations made by indicted Singaporean, a certain criminal Henry admitted to be the evil genius. He also linked a Nigerian player, who the report said didn’t show up at the meeting.

    Did Oguenyi Onazi report the matter to his coaches, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) chiefs or FIFA in line with what the law stipulates? We are being told that Onazi informed Super Eagles chief coach Stephen Keshi in Philadelphia that he reported the issue to the police. I believe Onazi and trust the police report can be relied on since it was done in Europe. Otherwise, he would be in the soup.

    Nigeria is a football nation. Our exploits in age-grade competitions even though tainted with allegations of cheating suggest so. Besides, our players have competed well for jerseys with their European counterparts to underscore the fact that they are talented. The NFF chiefs must commence their investigations on all these allegations. It should start with subjecting the list of players’ agents to scrutiny. Those with shady background can be invited to provide further details about their backgrounds. It isn’t enough for us to say that they are unscrupulous. We must arrest the trend by prosecuting those with substantial evidence to show that they are culpable.

    One is puzzled that the match-fixing bug has stuck with the Eagles since the red card issued against Kaita. Kaita’s conduct on that day was ungentlemanly. It clearly showed that he is a temperamental person. How such misconduct can be related to match-fixing beats my imagination, especially as Kaita was unhappy with himself by covering his face? Criminals do not show the kind of remorse exhibited by Kaita after it dawned on him. Coach Samson Siasia led Nigeria to beat Argentina 4-1 in Abuja. Most people celebrated the feat since it marked Siasia’s first victory over the Argentines. But like a thief at night, the story broke that FIFA eggheads were looking for the referee from Niger. Till date, nothing has been heard about the referee. And I’m not sure if we see the danger in keeping quiet in the face of odium poured on the nation by a few criminallyminded people. It’s easy for Nigeria to fall into the fixers’ traps because we always like things delivered to us a la carte. Perhaps, if the friendly matches are played here with our NFF in direct control of what happens before, during and after such games, we can be free of this unholy stigma. I feel strongly that the Eagles should play friendlies at the team’s terms and not on mercantile conditions set by profit-seeking agents. It is true that countries trust them with such issues. Yet our country’s integrity supersedes whatever monetary gains the matches would accrue to us. For instance, the day after Nigeria held Scotland to a pulsating 2-2 draw, Republic of Ireland played a barren draw game against Italy with no tales of match-fixing at the same stadium. There is something wrong with how our matches are packaged. We need to redress this issue before charlatans destroy us. I won’t delve into the Eagles’ 23- man list. I have written a lot on it. The coaches have decided. We must respect their decisions. But the coaches have shown us that they can’t trust Chijoke Agbim to keep the goal for us. Against Greece on Wednesday morning, the coaches didn’t have the courage to substitute injured Elderson Echiejile with Oshaniwa at the left back position. Instead they opted to switch Ambrose Efe to man the position. They introduced Odunlami in his place on the right side. On Wednesday morning, Greece exposed our inefficiency in the midfield. Eagles’ coaches paraded two holding midfielders (John Mikel Obi and Oguenyi Onazi). Our coaches tasked our wing players (Osaze Odemwingie and Ahmed Musa) to drop into the midfield to help when we lost possession of the ball. However, our first substitution most times comes from these wing players and it affects the team’s rhythm. These flaws were repeated on Wednesday morning against Greece. Modern day football is anchored on the 3-5-2 formation or the 4-4-2. I wonder how the Eagles will cope against countries grounded in these formations. Good luck to Nigeria. Welcome Danagogo Sports Minister Dammy Danagogo said the National Stadium in Lagos is dead. Good talk. We have heard it several times from his predecessors. We have not seen much in terms of renovation of the facilities at the Sports City. What we hear later from Danagogo’s predecessor is that the budget for sports is too small. On Tuesday afternoon in Lagos, I put three posers to Danagogo over the way forward for sports. His response was intelligent. He showed that he understood the politics at the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). Danagogo doesn’t want to create factions within the sporting media. He picked one of his critics as his special assistant. Last year, stakeholders met at the seat of government in Abuja to chart the way forward for sports in Nigeria. Decisions were taken; many – it is being said – are in the works. But unfortunately, the problems in the industry are still apparent. Perhaps, the biggest problem with us is the frequent change of sports ministers, culminating in policy somersaults. Specifically, I asked Danagogo what was the government policy for sports. His response on the aspect of strengthening the federations and getting them to develop sports to attract corporate funding raised hope. But it must be said that sports nosedived here the day a former sports minister, Jim Nwobodo relocated the federations to Abuja. The hub of sports in Nigeria is Lagos, which interestingly is the commercial nervecentre of the country. Indeed, Danagogo anchored his perception of Nigeria’s sports policy on the need to effectively evolve a system that would develop sports at the grassroots. He cited the National Sports Lottery, which he stated formed the basis for sourcing for more funds independent of government. Aside, this is the ongoing concession exercise of sports facilities. However, the minister was told to ensure that the right firms were picked and not land speculators. It must be stated that Danagogo assured everyone that politics won’t play any role in this initiative, especially concerning one of the facilities – the National Stadium, Surulere. Danagogo acknowledged the need to create the enabling environment to appreciate the contributions of sports-friendly corporate organisations through the Hall of Fame. The minister needs to visit those firms that identified with sports in the past to find out why they backed out. But he must be told that the corruption in most of these federations is chiefly why these credible firms backed out. No company worth its onions would want its goods and/or services tainted with tale of corruption or scandals. Our federation officials must be upright and see the task of developing sports as a business, as it is done in other climes. What I have observed here is that we strive to develop sports from the top, tasking the National Sports Commission (NSC) to provide the template. But the NSC ought to be the clearing house. The burden of grassroots development rests with the states. Not many states take the issue of sports development seriously. They hardly organise sports festivals. They only remember sports as a vocation when their governors want to jog for fitness. Most local government areas (LGAs) in this country don’t identify with sports largely because their chairmen are puppets of godfathers without the cognate knowledge of what it takes to lead people. Schools in the LGAs are in dilapidating state. Most of the recreational grounds have been converted to expanding such schools or most times, converted to motor-parks or business premises. Such settings encourage the kids to embrace social vices rather than dissipate such energy into sports. I left the minister’s parley with one view: the task of giving the NSC and NFF a document to run their operations would soon be unveiled. Like I always end this piece, Oba Khato Okpere, Ise!

  • Match–fixing Refs or managers, who’s to blame?

    I have come to understand that it takes two to agree on a thing and whatever the terms of the agreement it is always a factor of two people. Rightly or wrongly as I reflect on the evil of match- fixing in Nigeria and the danger it portends for the lives of innocent spectators, I cannot but put down this thought running through my head.

    Why is it that we often hear of a matches being fixed and yet people are invited and you see them denying it never happened? The answer is simply because they know that the act of match manipulation is wrong and an evil to our sport, hence they are always seen denying ever participating in such evil.

    I was discussing with a friend recently and he asked me who is guilty in match – fixing; Is it the referee or the team officials, because, according to him, if you look at the percentage of home wins in our leagues you will observe that it is higher than away wins. Yet we hear that people are not involved in match manipulation. Another friend quickly interjected by saying it is considered as purely home advantage.

    My point therefore is that since it is a fact that match manipulation is wrong and evil, why do we still find people getting involved in such a matter? Or can we say that most people who are involved do not see the evil in it?

    Before I forget, I have been a very patient observer of trends of events within our leagues and I have the following observation to make:

    Most times we have officials that have no serious source of income being assigned as referees and I am told that some are in the habit of calling the teams involved in matches they are to officiate to inform them that they are the assigned referees for their match, and that they should prepare to take care of them when they come to officiate.

    We also have some team managers, who in the bid of playing the politics of the game, go all out to pay referees and even consult intermediaries to help them talk to referees on the need to manipulate the outcome of a given match in their teams’ favour.

    However, I must also say that we need to look at the point of contact between the officials and the referees. I was informed recently that the host teams in some strata of our leagues are responsible for the accommodation and feeding as well as payment of indemnities for  referees. Have we forgotten that he who pays the piper dictates the tune? Our league managers should look at how to make sure that State Football Associations are the ones responsible for arranging the accommodation and other logistics of the officials. This will help correct the interaction that is always seen around such officials and thus reduce any form of inducement.

    The danger of match manipulation is such that it destroys the very game we want to celebrate.

    This is because when the predictability nature of a game is removed, what then can we say than to see the game as a waste of collective effort and time.

    We also need to understand that the rate of violence at various match venues is due to the consistent abuse of the rules of the game by some referees and team officials.

    Someone once said if there is no giver there won’t be a receiver. However, another said in our age and time there are no more receivers, what we have are desperate people who demand before offers are made to them. Some even have a price tag for every move including cost for penalty and free kicks and an outright  win.

    My charge is for the leagues to ensure that their games are video-recorded and also that adequate security personnel are assigned to the stadium as most times these things happen at venues where matches are not video-recorded and security personnel not adequately available.

    Our league operators should see the need to work with the state football associations in combatting this crime that is threatening to kill our domestic league.

    I am aware that the Nigeria Football Federation’s Referees’ Committee has been busy organizing training courses for Nigerian referee’s alongside the Nigerian Referee’s Association. However, I have not heard of training sessions organised for our various team managers most of whom are not professionals, rather purely sport business men.

    Let us join our hands to kick match manipulation syndrome out of Nigeria.

  • Match fixing: Nigeria Vs Kenya video submitted to FIFA

    Match fixing: Nigeria Vs Kenya video submitted to FIFA

    A video footage of the 2010 World Cup qualifier between Kenya and Nigerian played on November 14, 2009 at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani , has been presented to FIFA over match fixing allegations.

    The Nigeria Football Federation submitted the tape as part of a match-fixing probe sparked off by a convicted match-fixer, Wilson Raj Perumal, who claimed he fixed the match that saw the Super Eagles book a ticket to South Africa in 2010.

    Nigeria defeated Kenya 3-2 in that encounter.

    “The core of the match-fixer’s allegations is based on our match against Kenya in Nairobi, which we won 3-2. After some difficulties in getting the match tape, we have finally submitted it to FIFA for them to further study, futaa.com quoted a top NFF official who is involved in the investigation as saying to AfricanFootball.

     

  • Match fixing body to probe DSS, Golden Stars

    The NFF Disciplinary Committee on Thursday directed the NFF match fixing committee to handle the case of the bribery scandal involving Jigawa Golden Stars and DSS of Kaduna. The Match Fixing Committee, according to the Disciplinary Committee, is to report its finding back to it.

    It also decided that Bayelsa United play their next three home matches in Benin City under close doors instead of the Abuja that the LMC had earlier ruled. They are to pay the sum of N250,000 El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri are to pay same amount, while they have been ordered to produce the player that head butted the centre referee in the match. Failure to do that, they would be paying N50,000 every week until the end of the season.

    Also, the committee threw away the petition filed by Delta Queens that their Week 1 Women Premier League match against Rivers Angels should be cancelled because of the heavy down pour that did not allow for the free flow of the match. The committee ruled that it is never the duty of the club to decide when a match would be stopped.

    Meanwhile, the Secretariat of the Nigeria Women League has been directed to liaise with Adamawa Queens to find an alternative venue for all its home matches. The committee said that Adamawa Queens cannot continue to gain maximum points at home without playing a ball. It reasoned that Adamawa gained 18 points last season through walk overs. The committee ruled that the four Adamawa Queens home matches that were not played be rescheduled.

  • Curbing match–fixing

    Today, I want to discuss about match-fixing which dates back to over 100 years, but is currently been fought vigorously by world sporting bodies. The whole essence of sport is the unpredictability nature of its outcome or result and anything that alters this unpredictability nature of sport is considered as match-fixing.

    Hence, we can simply define match-fixing as an act that is targeted towards manipulating the unpredictability nature of sport through any means, thus affecting the outcome of a given sport event. Match- fixing is everywhere, but unfortunately most people feel that match-fixing is only experienced when a given team manipulates its way to win a game. This scenario is one of many but it is not limited to it as match-fixing comes in different forms.

    It is important for us to understand that one of the greatest threats to sports all over the world is this singular act of match-fixing. It has destroyed the careers of administrators, referees, players/ athlete’s, club owners, members of various sport committee’s just to mention a few. Match-fixing is simply put corruption personified in sport.

    The understanding on how the operators otherwise known as match-fixers operate is needed by all sport personnel, including players and their officials, which in most cases are the most vulnerable. To help in understanding this concept of match-fixing, I will attempt to present some scenarios for the benefit of my readers.

    When a team is willing to lose a match and the other team is observed to be scoring very simple goals it is an indication of match-fixing. When you see officials flagrantly making unnecessary foul calls to the advantage of a given team watch out. When the result of a match is been predicted by an active administrator, watch out. When a given match or race attracts an increase betting indicator watch out for someone knows something others don’t know.

    Everyone and anyone can be involved in match-fixing, the administrator, coaches, players, officials, supporters, fans, and all other stakeholders can be involved directly or indirectly. According to Nicholas Rudensky a Manager in the FIFA Security Department, he stated that Football is under attack, match fixing is killing the development of football in Africa. When money flows into football so also is threat for corruption and match fixing.

    Players and referees are all involved as they either participate or collaborate in match-fixing in some cases; syndicates are formed to approach critical stakeholders. These syndicates could be family friends of sport managers, ex- athletes and even well respected sport administrators. In other cases, club chairmen and managers are all involved.

    Organised criminals and those within sports are trying to corrupt athletes and officials to manipulate the outcome of sport results. Researches have shown that match-fixing strives more in a sport venue that is not video recorded. The evil inherent therein is that a match-fixer can be anybody and this is so because anyone that has access to the key actors in sports can be approached and used to manipulate the key actors in sports.

    In Africa there are certain challenges for law enforcement agencies as it relates to the arrest and prosecution of match fixers. Firstly, there is the need for a good synergy between the security agencies and the sporting community. We also need an adequate legislation to address match-fixing. Today the only country that has commenced this process with the help of INTERPOL is Australia.

    Sport organisations, especially regulating bodies need information to enable them take quick decisions on match-fixing issues. An example of this, is seen on how the Nigeria Football Federation decisively dealt with the cases of the scandalous goals recorded by POLICE MACHINE FC, ADAMAWA VS BUBAYERO OF GOMBE when in the said match 67 goals were scored within the 90 minutes of play. Also, the Case of Plateau United Feeders FC Vs. Akurba United FC where 79 goals were scored within the 90 minutes of play.

    Going by what happened, it is evident that both teams were desperate to qualify for the Div. 111 of the Nationwide League. It is also interesting to note, that despite the cancellation of the whole competition at the end of the two matches,none of the teams involved ever challenged the decision. However, according to Dr.Sanusi Mohammed who is the Director Competitions of the Nigeria Football Federation, all the actors involved in this scandalous act were ban for life from participating in any football related matter after a thorough investigation into the matter.

    The above is an indication that match-fixing can be found anywhere. If at the lowest ebb of football in Nigeria we can record the above, then it shows that we are not safe from this threat. The slogan is for all stakeholders to Recognise, Resist and Report any match-fixer or their collaborators to the appropriate regulatory body. Let us jointly fight this terrible threat to the existence of sport in Nigeria and Africa.

  • Match-fixing: Club backs Sodje

    Match-fixing: Club backs Sodje

    English club Tranmere United have said they will carry on picking Akpo Sodje and Ian Goodison following their arrest in a spot-fixing probe.

    Blackburn on Thursday gave striker DJ Campbell “time off to spend with his family” after he was quizzed by police as part of the National Crime Agency investigation.

    Oldham suspended winger Christian Montano without pay on Monday. But Tranmere boss Ronnie Moore confirmed striker Sodje and defender Goodison will remain eligible for selection at the League One club.

    The duo returned to Prenton Park Thursday for the first time since they and four other men were arrested at the weekend. They have been bailed until April.

    The arrests follow claims made to an undercover reporter by Sodje’s older brother Sam. He said he had taken £70,000 to get sent off deliberately in a match – and had arranged for other players to do the same.

    Moore said: “I spoke to both of them over the phone and they assured me they have done nothing. I have to take that as the truth, until somebody tells me different. Goodison is injured but Sodje is available for selection.

    “It’s difficult, but the good thing about this country is that you are innocent until proven guilty, so we are taking it that there is no truth in what has been said. If it comes out that there are one or two things that they have done, then the whole situation changes. At this present time, we put our arms around them and we get going. Nobody has proven anything. The police have not charged them and we will just get on with it.”

  • MATCH-FIXING ALLEGATION: British crime agency probes Sodje Sports Foundation

    MATCH-FIXING ALLEGATION: British crime agency probes Sodje Sports Foundation

    The sports foundation run by one of the brothers at the centre of football’s spot-fixing allegations is being probed by the charity regulator over claims of irregularities.

    The Sodje Sports Foundation (SSF) is run by Steve Sodje, who was arrested by the National Crime Agency over the weekend with his brothers, Sam and Akpo, along with three other men.

    As a registered charity, it enjoys tax exemptions and other benefits.

    But one of its named trustees — a position within the charity with strict legal obligations — claimed on Tuesday night he was unaware of his role and knew nothing about the running of SSF.

    Richard Taylor, the father of murdered schoolboy Damilola, said he knew both former Portsmouth player Sam and Steve Sodje after the foundation had done work with the Damilola Taylor Trust.

    However, when asked if he knew he was listed as a registered trustee with the Charity Commission, Taylor replied: ‘I’m not a trustee, they’ve never asked me or told me that I am and I’ve never signed a piece of paper saying so. I know very little about their charity apart from the work they’ve done a couple of times with the Damilola Taylor Trust.

    ‘I have no idea of their financial accounts as I’ve never seen any or had a meeting with them specifically about the foundation.’

    Under Charity Commission rules, the names and details of all trustees must be registered on its database.

    Trustees’ legal requirements include making sure the charity is ‘well-run’, provides correct annual returns and accounts as well as avoiding activities that would put its ‘reputation at risk’.

    Commission officials are looking into the allegations.

    Figures supplied by SSF reveal it had an income of just £7,150, with spending of £4,032 last year. This is despite a highly professional website, records of a number of charity events in the UK and in Nigeria and alleged major corporate backing.

    SSF is officially run from the Sodje family’s modest former local authority home in Abbey Wood, south-east London.

    Sportsmail revealed yesterday that Premier League sponsors Barclays, which SSF claims on its website is one of its backers, distanced themselves from the organisation.

    A spokesman for the bank said: “We actively protect the Barclays brand and take any instances of misuse very seriously. We are investigating the matter.”

    Anti-racism campaign Kick it Out said it had given Steve Sodje free desk space to organise fund-raising events but is not directly involved with the charity.

    Following Sportsmail’s revelations about SSF, the charity’s open website was yesterday restricted to only those with a username and password.

    A Charity Commission spokesman said: ‘The commission is aware of the arrest of a trustee of the Sodje Sports Foundation. We intend to contact the charity to ensure proper governance. We will also clarify who the current trustees are as there is an inconsistency in the listings.’