Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey has been banned for life by FIFA after being found guilty of influencing the result of a World Cup qualifying match.
Lamptey incorrectly awarded a penalty during a qualifier for the 2018 World Cup between South Africa and Senegal in November last year.
South Africa won 2-1, the first of their goals from a spot-kick awarded by Lamptey for a handball that never was.
The ball hit Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly on the leg, but, despite no appeals, Lamptey pointed to the spot, to the incredulity of the Senegal team.
According to FIFA , the disciplinary committee has decided to ban the Ghanaian match official Joseph Odartei Lamptey from taking part in any kind of football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) at national and international level for life.The official was found guilty of breaching art. 69 par. 1 (unlawfully influencing match results) of the FIFA disciplinary code during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia qualifying match between South Africa and Senegal on 12 November 2016.
FIFA follows a zero-tolerance policy on match manipulation and is committed to protecting the integrity of football.
