South Africa claim betting spike during World Cup qualifier against Ghana

There was a clear pattern of match manipulation during South Africa’s 2022 World Cup qualifier against Ghana, according to the president of the South African Football Association (SAFA) Danny Jordaan.

Safa has lodged a protest with football’s world governing body FIFA over their 1-0 loss to Ghana on Sunday in a crucial qualifier for next year’s tournament in Qatar.

The win saw the Black Stars advance to Africa’s World Cup play-offs at the expense of Bafana Bafana on goals scored.

“How is it that there’s a betting spike just before a major decision is taken and therefore people bet? They knew when to bet,” Jordaan said at a press conference on Wednesday.

The Ghana Football Association has dismissed match-fixing allegations and has said it is not expecting anything untoward from any investigation by Fifa.

Fifa has said it is reviewing the complaint lodged by Safa, but has not given any indication of when a decision will be reached.

A comprehensive report has been compiled by former South African referee Ace Ncobo and will be used as part of Safa’s protest with Fifa.

Ncobo said he picked up 71 major incidents from the match where the referee either turned a blind eye in favour of Ghana or made incorrect calls against the South African team.