The South African Football Association (SAFA) has made clear its intention to file an official complaint with world football governing body FIFA as well as continental counterpart CAF for a replay of the 1-0 defeat to Ghana in Cape Coast on Sunday, November 14.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of SAFA, Tebogo Motlanthe, there were many infractions in the game on the part of the match officials. “I think from our hearts is to say the match officials have decided the game which is not what is supposed to happen,” he told South African journalists prior to the team’s departure on Monday, November 15.
“So, we as the Association have decided that we will be writing to both CAF and FIFA first to investigate how the game had ended and secondly to also challenge some of these decisions.”
The game was won by the Black Stars courtesy of a penalty by captain Andre Ayew, sending the 2010 World Cup quarter-finalists into the play-offs. The match was handled by Senegalese Ndiaye Maguette, who was assisted by compatriots Samba Elhadji Malick (Assistant I) and Camara Djibril (Assistant II).
The Fourth Referee was Gueye Daouda while Togolese Lawson-Hogban Latre-Kayi Edzona served as the Referee Assessor. Kachalla Babagana Kalli from Nigeria was the Match Commissioner while Ghana’s Christian Baah served as Covid-19 Officer. Mr Motlanthe indicated that immediately after the match, they lodged a complaint with the Match Commissioner.
He said SAFA will officially address journalists in South Africa on Wednesday “after we would have done [and] ticked all our boxes and submit of course a full complaint which is supported by all the evidence which was there to say that game either it was manipulated or the referee had done something wrong before the game”.
In 2017, FIFA ordered a replay of the 2018 World Cup Qualifier between South Africa and Senegal after referee Joseph Lamptey was found guilty for awarding a non-existent penalty against the Teranga Lions.
The Lions won the replay and booked a ticket to Russia.
“Of course, we are looking at the precedent which FIFA set by ordering us to replay Senegal and we think if justice needs to be served the decision should be taken against this Ghana game.”
‘Robbed’
Mr Motlanthe said not only does the penalty make them feel robbed but also there were a lot of questions about many decisions by the referee. As a result, SAFA will engage the services of an expert to gather all the pieces of evidence to make a stronger case with their complaint.
