World Cup qualifier to be replayed after referee banned
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Panama’s Abdiel Arroyo controls the ball before scoring against Trinidad and Tobago during a 2018 Russia World Cup qualifying soccer match in Panama City on Sept. 5. FIFA has ordered that a World Cup qualifier between South Africa and Senegal be replayed after the referee awarded a penalty for a non-existent handball and was banned for life for match manipulation.
ZURICH >> FIFA has ordered that a World Cup qualifier between South Africa and Senegal be replayed after the referee awarded a penalty for a non-existent handball and was banned for life for match manipulation.
FIFA says the game, which South Africa won 2-1 in November last year, will be replayed this November. It says it made the decision to order a replay after the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the life ban for the referee in question, Joseph Lamptey of Ghana.
FIFA found Lamptey guilty of breaching the rule relating to “unlawfully influencing match results.”
He gave a penalty for a non-existent handball against Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly in the game in Polokwane, South Africa. Replays clearly showed the ball struck Koulibaly’s knee and then dropped to the ground.
South Africa scored the penalty and went on to win the qualifier — its only victory so far in the final round of qualifiers in Africa.
A different result could have a big impact on the South Africa-Senegal group. Senegal trails joint-leaders Burkina Faso and Cape Verde by a point.
FIFA says the game will be replayed in the November international window, with the exact date yet to be decided.
