FIFA Bans Ex-South Africa FA President For Match Fixing

The president of the South African FA at the time of the 2010 World Cup has been banned by Fifa for five years in connection with a match-fixing scandal involving the country's national team.

A previous Fifa investigation found 'compelling evidence' that four South Africa friendlies prior to the World Cup on home soil had been fixed.

Fifa found Kirsten Nematandani, who headed up the South African FA (Safa) from 2009-2013, guilty of failing to report suspected corruption and for being uncooperative during the investigation.

He was one of three Africans to be sanctioned on Thursday, along with former Zimbabwe FA official Jonathan Musavengana and ex-Togo coach Bana Tchanile.

Both men received life bans for bribery and corruption relating to the international friendlies in South Africa.

Musavengana had previously been accused of being involved in a scheme where Zimbabwe national team players were paid to lose on a tour of Asia in 2009 - an accusation he denied.

Tchanile, meanwhile, had already been banned from football for three years by his country's federation after taking a team masquerading as the Togo national side to play a friendly with Bahrain in 2010.

One of the South Africa friendlies came just 11 days before the start of the 2010 World Cup, which was taking place in Africa for the first time.

On 31 May in Polokwane, Bafana Bafana thrashed Guatemala 5-0 in a game in which there were three controversial penalties by the Nigerien referee.