FIFA Disciplinary Committee has thrown out the protest lodged by South Africa Football Association (SAFA) following their loss to the Black Stars of Ghana. FIFA deemed the protest “inadmissible”. SAFA have ten days to appeal this decision.
The match was the final round of the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifier played in Cape Coast on the 14th of November 2021, Ghana won 1-0 with a disputed penalty tucked home by Andre Ayew.
Immediately following the match, SAFA made a verbal protest to the match referee Maguette Ndiaye of Senegal and was lodged in the official match report to FIFA.
According to the General Secretary of Ghana Football Association Prosper Addo though “The SAFA have only been making high drama about this because they did not make the required Protest Fee to FIFA that is normal when making a protest of this type”.
If they do appeal this decision, SAFA will have a very tough ask to prove that the Ndiaye and his team were induced to officiate against the Bafana Bafana. The Senegalese is one of the Continent’s top referees and is one of those slated to be at Qatar 2022 World Cup and has been at AFCON tournaments in the past.