FUFA in June revealed that they had uncovered a widespread match-fixing scandal involving referees colluding with South African-based match fixers.
According to FUFA, the syndicate had infiltrated Ugandan football, using bribes to manipulate match outcomes.
FUFA’s Legal Manager, Dennis Lukambi in a recent interview revealed that the syndicate specifically targeted referees, who were willing to accept bribes as low as 200,000 shillings, as opposed to club officials who were considered “too expensive.”
“Because club officials were considered expensive by the match-fixing syndicate, they opted to target referees to fix games,” Lukambi revealed adding that some of the referees implicated in the scandal were taking bribes as low as UGX 200,000 leading to manipulated outcomes including fake penalties.
According to FUFA, their investigation found that referees worked hand-in-hand with the South African betting house to fix games, awarding fake penalties and making dubious calls to influence match outcomes.
As a result of the scandal, 10 referees, a player, and two administrators were provisionally banned in mid-June for 90 days pending further investigations.
