Bosnian referees in match-fixing scandal ahead of 2010 World Cup!

The prominent American newspaper „The New York Times“ published, a few days before the World Cup in Brazil, a confidential FIFA report regarding the investigation into possible match-fixing ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria (NAP).

The detailed report reveals how friendly matches were fixed ahead of the previous championship for betting purposes, while the newspaper warns that this reveals the possibility that, using the same system, matches at the World Cup could also be rigged.

According to witness statements, an unnamed trio of referees from Bosnia and Herzegovina was allegedly involved in the entire affair in 2010!

The fixing was organized through the Singapore-based company „Football 4U“, which pressured the acting president of the South African referees' organization, Steve Goddard, to let them appoint referees for certain friendly matches.

Incidentally, that company offered its services to pay referees, their accommodation, and all other expenses to the financially troubled football association. However, behind it all was an attempt to fix matches.

According to the report, the Bosnian referee trio was supposed, at the behest of the Singapore firm, to officiate the match between the USA and Australia on June 5, 2010, but Goddard warned those countries of the fixing attempt, so the match, which ended 3-1 for the Americans, was ultimately officiated by a local trio.

It is stated that the Bosnian referees would receive a lifetime ban from officiating once the scandal was uncovered.

The newspaper writes about several more solid pieces of evidence regarding the fixing of preparatory matches in 2010.

The case of a Nigerian referee is cited who, according to witness statements, came to a bank the day after the match South Africa – Guatemala and made a cash deposit of $100,000.

- He brought the money in a bag – testified one of his colleagues, as stated in the FIFA report. During the match, that referee awarded two penalties for handball, although it was obvious there were no infractions. The officiating was deemed catastrophic.

Officially, from this organization, they only confirmed to the American newspaper that an investigation into possible match-fixing of national team matches is ongoing, reports NAP.