Fifa bans Botswana football official for life

FIFA President Gianni Infantino addresses the media after a key meeting of football's world governing body in Miami. AFP/RHONA WISE

What you need to know:

  • Fifa said judges from its independent ethics body found Mooketsi Kgotlele "guilty of having accepted bribes in relation to the manipulation of international matches"
  • Few details of the alleged misconduct were available immediately, but Fifa said it had launched a probe against Kgotlele in September.

GENEVA. Fifa has banned the former general secretary of the Botswana Football Association for life for taking bribes in relation to match fixing, world football's governing body announced on Monday.

In a statement, Fifa said judges from its independent ethics body found Mooketsi Kgotlele "guilty of having accepted bribes in relation to the manipulation of international matches".

Few details of the alleged misconduct were available immediately, but Fifa said it had launched a probe against Kgotlele in September.

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The allegations against him "stem from an extensive investigation into various attempts to manipulate international matches for betting purposes by Mr Wilson Raj Perumal, a known match-fixer," Fifa said.

Perumal was arrested and jailed in Finland in 2011 for fixing top-tier football games there. He later collaborated with match fixing investigators.

In addition to a lifetime ban, Fifa fined Kgotlele Sh5.2 million (45,000 euros).

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