The Bureau for the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers has ordered a replay of the qualification match between South Africa and Senegal held on 12 November 2016, when the central referee Joseph Lamptey of Ghana awarded a penalty for a nonexistent handball and was banned for life for match manipulation.
This decision follows the confirmation of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to uphold the lifetime ban of match the referee, Jospeh Lamptey, for match manipulation, a ruling imposed by the FIFA Disciplinary and Appeal Committees.
The game, which South Africa won 2-1 in November last year, will be replayed within the November 2017 international window, with the exact date to be confirmed in due course.
As stated in the FIFA World Cup regulations, this decision shall come into effect immediately but shall be subject to confirmation by the Organising Committee for FIFA Competitions at its next meeting, scheduled for 14 September.
Fifa found Lamptey guilty of breaching the rule relating to “unlawfully influencing match results”, after he gave a penalty for a nonexistent handball against the Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly during the game in Polokwane, South Africa.
Replays showed the ball struck Koulibaly’s knee and dropped to the ground.
South Africa scored the penalty and went on to win the qualifier for their 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 trail the joint-leaders Burkina Faso and Cape Verde by a point.