By Yankuba Jallow
Gambia Football Federation are set to meet over the fate of referee Ebrima Jallow slapped with a 10-year ban by Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Jallow is among eleven arbiters found culpable of gross misconduct following investigation by the continent football governing body’s ethics committee.
The decision to impose the bans ranging from two years to ten, comes on the back of controversial Ghanaian journalists Anas’ Number 12 video naming and shaming of referees he claim accepted bribes.
Jallow was first scheduled to face the Gambia Football House regarding his reported involvement in bribery after a footage of him emerged receiving what looked like $500 ‘token’ before a game in his referee’s dressing room sometime last year.
However, CAF moved to take over the case – and as first revealed by Foroyaa Sport last week – asked Jallow to send a personal testimony before a verdict was passed over the weekend.
“We are on discussions about that and we will come up with our decision within days,” Gambia Football Federation president Lamin Kabba Bajo told Foroyaa Sport yesterday.
The footage, a joint work of the BBC and the Tiger Eye aimed at clamping down on corruption in the African game, was captured in Ghana during the Wafu Cup in 2017.
The buzz-making video also featured Ghana’s FA boss Kwasi stuffing wads of cash in a bag from undercover reporters posing as potential investors.
The embattled Kwasi has since lost his job and is on the brink of answering to charges at the courts.
CAF have been under pressure to act since the news broke of its arbiters being enticed to influence matches with jaw-dropping paltry sums.
Caf referees’ pay per game is pegged at $1,200, according to a reliable source.
This is not the first time African referees are being mired in the dark art of the game with the most amusing case being four Rwandan referees sharing $5 bribe.
The sum was initially $20 but the bribing team demanded to be refunded $15 after they lost the game.
The banned referees included Mr. Marwa Range, Assistant Referee (Kenya) : life ban from all CAF related football activities, Mr. Boukari Ouedraogo, Referee (Burkina Faso): 5 years ban from all CAF related football activities, Mr. Denis Dembele, Referee (Cote d’Ivoire): 6 years ban from all CAF related football activities, Mr. Marius Tan, Assistant Referee (Cote d’Ivoire): 2 years ban from all CAF related football activities, Mr. Bi Valere Gouho, Assistant Referee (Cote d’Ivoire): 2 years ban from all CAF related football activities, Mr. Coulibay Abou, Referee (Cote d’Ivoire): 2 years ban from all CAF related football activities, Mr. Jallow Ebrima, Assistant Referee (Gambia), 10 years ban from all CAF related football activities, Mr. Moriba Diakite, Assistant Referee (Mali),5 years ban from all CAF related football activities, Mr. Demba Boubou, Assistant Referee (Mauritania) : 5 years ban from all CAF related football activities, Mr. Maman Raja Abba Malan Ousseini, Assistant Referee (Niger) :5 years ban from all CAF related football activities and Mr. Yanissou Bebou, Referee (Togo): 10 years ban from all CAF related football activities.
CAF provisionally suspended some other referees pending their appearance before the Disciplinary Board on 5th August 2018. They are; Mr. Lathbridge Reginald, Referee (Ghana)
, Mr. Bello Aboudou, Referee (Ghana), Mr. Nantierre Eric, Assistant Referee (Ghana),Mr. Fleischer Cecil, Referee (Ghana),Mr. Anafo Nathan, Referee (Ghana), Mr. Ouedraogo Dawood, Referee (Ghana), Mr. Salifu Malik, Assistant Referee (Ghana), Mrs. Akongyam Theresa, Women Assistant Referee (Ghana), Mr. Badiu Brahim, Assistant Referee (Ghana) , Mr. Yekeh Jerry, Referee (Liberia) and Mr. David Laryea, Assistant Referee (Ghana).
