FIFA’s decision on Referee Oden Mbaga

LAST week, the world football governing body, Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA), handed down a life ban to Oden Charles Mbaga, a referee affiliated with the Tanzania Football Federation, having found him guilty of accepting illegal payments. Mbaga is the second African referee to be given a life ban by FIFA’s Independent Ethics Committee for bribery in recent times. In January, former international referee, Ibrahim Chaibou from Niger Republic, was banned for life and fined 200,000 Swiss francs after being found guilty of collecting bribes.

According to FIFA, Mbaga “accepted bribes to manipulate several national and international matches between 2009 and 2012.”  As a result, “the adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee found Mr Oden Charles Mbaga guilty of having accepted bribes in violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics and banned him for life from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international levels.” In addition to the maximum sanction, the referee was also fined 200, 000 Swiss francs.

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In reaction, Mbaga claimed innocence, telling Reuters in Dar es Salaam that he was questioned by FIFA in 2010 but had not heard anything from the federation since then and knew nothing about match-fixing. “This is shocking news to me. I don’t know anything about me being banned from participating in football activities for life. I really don’t know this. I knew FIFA was doing an investigation and the last time they came to interview me about the issue was in 2010. I told them openly that I don’t know anything about match-fixing and I have never heard anything from them since then. For now, I cannot say anything as I don’t have clear information.”

To say the least, we find Mr. Mbaga’s qualms to be quite hilarious. Match-fixing, a scheme organised by syndicates that bribe players or officials to manipulate matches and make money by correctly gambling on the result, constitutes a huge hindrance to the growth and development of African football and any effort made to stem the tide can only be encouraged. In this connection, we commend FIFA for addressing the issue squarely. In our view, confronting this behemoth has been facilitated by FIFA’s practice of keeping records and conducting diligent investigations. For an organisation that is on record as having sacked its own president for corruption, FIFA’s latest action in relation to referee Mbaga is no surprise.

We urge African referees,  players and coaches to be careful and play by the rules at all times. Of a truth, people like Oden Mbaga are a blight on African football and deserve the punishment given to them. Mbaga claims to be awaiting “clear information,” but nothing can be clearer than the life ban that he has earned following his own illegal activities. Cheating in football hampers the game by demoralising hard-working players and teams and promoting mediocrity. Just how can African teams put up  scintillating performances on the global stage when qualifying matches are bogged down by bribery and corruption?

As we noted in previous editorials, over the years, the issues of favouritism and corruption have tended to blight football on the continent. On many occasions, coaches of the various national teams have been accused of collecting bribes from certain players or their agents in order to give such players the opportunity to represent their country in major tournaments. Truth be told, the often less than satisfactory performances of the national teams are due in large part to the coaches’ decision to field apparently unfit and mediocre players. As we noted, it is for instance a well-known fact that home teams hardly lose matches in the leagues. This is one of the reasons many football fans on the continent have turned their attention to the European leagues. Now, with the FIFA decision on Mbaga, it is clear that African referees are part of the corruption set up and must clean up their acts before greater damage is done to football on the continent.

Match-fixing is a grievous crime. FIFA’s decision on referee Mbaga can only advance the cause of African football, not hamper it.