THE FIFA CORRUPTION SCANDAL: how South Africa has reacted (video from Sky News, SABC and eTV Sunrise)

ODD COUPLE: Jordaan and Blatter

SINCE the initial FIFA arrests in Zurich nearly two weeks ago, the world has been eager for information on just when and where World Cup corruption took place.

Since South African sports minister Fikile Mbalula's emphatic denials, the story has twisted and turned like a dangerous roller coaster at Alton Towers - and Sepp Blatter has resigned despite winning the vote 133-73 for his FIFTH re-election.

Many South Africans have been implicated, though we cannot yet say who "co-conspirators" 15 and 16 are, as featured in the 160 page FIFA indictment. Only SIX of those pages actually touch on South Africa's World Cup bid. But even today, the South African papers are hot on the trail of Danny Jordaan, Dr Irvin Khoza and even former president Thabo Mbeki.

Here are some of the videos I've posted as the story developed. Anybody who follows me on twitter will know the arguments, the accusations of bias... but have a look at these snippets to get a better idea of what is REALLY happening as the FBI burrow in to world football's governing body...

Here's today's Sky News interview, in my Kaizer Chiefs t-shirt!




And here's Thursday's Sky News effort, skyped on a cold, dark night outside a Pretoria restaurant!




This is my telephonic effort for the SABC's Morning Live, I've also done Question Time and Media Monitor for them in the last week:





And here's me with the 160-page FIFA indictment, offering the Sports Minister a hand on eTV Sunrise...

AND SO THE WORLD CUP BEGINS: Brazil 3-1 Croatia with a helping hand from the referee (as predicted)

Neymaaaaaaaaar: Brazil open their account

And so it begins. The careful manipulation of the greatest footballing event on earth. With protests and stun grenades in the streets, FIFA couldn’t afford to see hosts Brazil get off to a bad start.

But they did. Right from that early Marcelo own goal, Filip Scolari’s fired-up side found themselves frustrated and flustered against a determined Croatia, who were never markedly outplayed by the Samba nation.

Neymar, as expected, produced the equaliser… but after Stipe Pletikosa’s early bravery his long range, poorly hit shot looked gettable for an international stopper.

IF YOU DON'T ACCEPT MY VIEW, TRY THIS FROM CROATIA COACH NIKO KOVAC: "If that's how we start the World Cup, we'd better give it up now and go home. We talk about respect, that wasn't respect, Croatia didn't get any. If that's a penalty, we don't need to play football anymore. Let's play basketball instead, it's a shame."

The second half just never unfolded like Brazil hoped it would. With the crowd getting increasingly agitated, the Neymar penalty winner I’d been predicting all day on twitter (feel free to check my timeline at www.twitter.com/nealcol) was almost inevitable.

Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura watched Fred control the ball poorly and lean in to the defender before tumbling dramatically backwards. And without hesitation, he pointed to the spot. It was Fred’s most important – possibly his only – meaningful contribution in Sao Paulo. And as Ryan Giggs confirmed afterwards, it was NEVER a penalty.

Robbed: Croatia reaction

Neymar stuck the penalty away – though Pletikosa got both hands to it – and my twitter timeline was immediately swamped by those shocked that I had so accurately predicted the “Brazil must win” scenario.

The white sangoma had struck again, they said. I had thrown the bones. A dodgy Neymar penalty, just as I predicted. But in truth, it was always going to happen. There is no sorcery here. As I told Bloemfontein Celtic-bound Bevan Fransman as events unfolded, when you’ve watched as many World Cups as I have, you expect the dodgy decisions and obedient referees.

Croatia then pummeled the Brazil goal at 1-2 down and could have levelled twice before they put the ball in the net, only for Nishimura to call a foul on Julio Cesar in the Brazil goal. He didn’t even have the ball in his hands. A second glaring mistake.

Oscar – sparkling throughout – toe-punted a third past the hapless Pletikosa to seal the win and leave “experts” grovelling about an “emphatic” Brazilian victory on televisions globally in numerous different languages.

Oscar thanked God for the win, he should
have thanked Japanese ref Nishimura

Of course, it’s their job to “sell” the tournament when corporations pay millions to screen the World Cup. Around the world, analysts will talk of a bright, lively opening game. Four goals is a lot better than usual for the World Cup kick-off. Great start for the hosts.

At least the former Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs, guesting in South Africa, had the gumption to admit: "Fred went down easily. It wasn't a penalty. The referee made a clear mistake." But then: “We’re off to a flying start, an emphatic win for Brazil,” said Premier League presenter John Dykes at the end of SuperSport’s analysis which goes the length of Africa. Bollockz.

In truth, particularly if you’re Croatian, there was only injustice to speak of. The penalty, the disallowed goal. Obvious and calculated. FIFA know where their bread is buttered.

They can put up with a shoddy Opening Ceremony with a terrible sound system. They can accept unfinished stadia. But they can’t risk further angering the Brazilian people after their $11 BILLION spend on this World Cup.

AND HOW ABOUT THIS FROM South American football expert Tim Vickery on the BBC: "Protests are planned outside the stadiums for every game. How this pans out I don't think anyone knows for sure. Two situations could make things worse - police reaction, or the nightmare scenario for Brazilian authorities which is Brazil exiting the tournament early.

"Disappointing performances on the field could fuel the fire of anger. You do wonder if Brazil get hometown decisions more often because it was would be a disaster if Brazil exited this tournament early."

Any rational governing body would have a look at both Nishimura’s whistling and Pletikosa’s keeping. But they won’t. It’s done. We move on.

On day two, we see Mexico v Cameroon at 6pm CAT (a real chance for Africa to get off to a flying start, Mexico needed a play-off against New Zealand to get to Brazil); the momentous rerun of the 2010 World Cup final between holder Spain and Holland at 9pm and Chile against lowest ranked Australia at midnight.

Great games in prospect. But for me, the opening night leaves a sour taste. Not many will say that, but I’m afraid it’s the truth.

SOCCERBALLZ! my innovative football show on www.ballz.co.za with Mark Fish airs every Thursday from 9am-11am. See Ballz' channel for our growing library of fascinating football interviews with the big names. Ballz will also provide daily World Cup updates from next week.

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news and read my “Neal and Pray” column every Tuesday in www.thenewage.co.za.

Match Fixing: South Africa Threatened by Corruption and a Dodgy Referee

Ibrahim Chaibou. Not a name you might instantly recognise, but one worth remembering as the latest round of FIFA match-fixing allegations rocks football.

With Greece, Finland, South Korea and even Sumo wrestling in Japan under scrutiny, FIFA have now turned their gaze to a couple of bizarre games in the build-up to last year’s World Cup in South Africa.

First, as they opened the World Cup final venue at Soccer City, Bafana Bafana (The Boys, The Boys) beat Colombia 2-1 on May 27, 2010. Amid the blaring vuvuzelas, Kenyan referee Langat Kipngetich saw fit to award two penalties – one of them distinctly dodgy - to South Africa that day, leaving the Latin Americans a little irked. I seem to recall Colombia coach Hernan Dario Gomez getting quite angry about it.

Four days later, I drove up the N1 motorway through a forest of toll booths to the brand new Peter Mokabe stadium in Polokwane (once known as Pietersburg) to see Bafana Bafana take on Guatemala. Though BafBaf were ranked 92 at the time (a record low for a World Cup host nation) they contrived to win 5-0, their best-ever international scoreline. Great boost for an anxious nation that as I said when I filed this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjzwzNhaeTM.

Strange day too. Before the game, with an old goalkeeper friend of mine Deshi Bakhtawer, who now works for the South African Broadcasting Corporation, we stopped off at the Holiday Inns in downtown Polokwane.

A strange but clearly powerful man, short in stature but big on lip, was ordering people about. I chatted to him. He told me he was the “agent” for the game. Bodyguards surrounded him. He told me how he organised such friendlies, sorted things out (for a reasonable fee, I imagine)... before driving off to the ground looking suitably self-important.

The Holiday Inns was chaotic, filled with journalists, fans, officials, players, ex-players and, unless I’m very much mistaken, the referee that night, a man called Ibrahim Chaibou, flown in from Niger.

A couple of hours later, Mr Chaibou saw fit to award two penalties to South Africa, both for handball. The first, after just 12 minutes, was a travesty. Katlego “Killer” Mphela stuck both spot kicks away. Job done.

At the time, I saw both the Colombian and Guatemalan wins (and the subsequent 2-0 win over highly-ranked Demark in Atteridgeville) as perfect preparation for the World Cup for the hosts, who started the tournament on a run of 12 unbeaten internationals. Sure, the refereeing was a little generous, but hey, Guatemala had just suffered a series of earthquakes and their players didn’t look too bothered about the result or the refereeing.

Now, just over a year on, you start to wonder. Just like seeing Bernard Tapie’s Marseille in the early 1990s or Hansie Cronje’s cricketing Proteas at the turn of the century, perhaps I was witnessing something more than met the eye.

Look closer at Mr Chaibou’s recent performances and you’ll see he was the man in charge when Bahrain beat Togo 3-0 last year. That was the day Togo put out a side of nonentities, pretending they were international footballers. Mr Chaibou saw fit to disallow five goals that day, for no other obvious reason other than to keep the scoreline respectable. Critisisms of his performance were swept under the table as the headlines focussed on the bogus Togo line-up and the actions of an agent called Wilson Raj Perumal.

But a month ago in Abuja, our whistle-happy friend Mr Chaibou was at it again. Nigeria were (surprisingly) 4-0 up against a below-par Argentina side when, according to internet bookmakers, there was a rush on betting that there would be a fifth goal in the match.

Matthew Benham, of online betting outfit SmartOdds, informs us: "With 86 minutes played the odds for [a fifth goal] were absolutely insane. But the market was effectively saying there would be no more goals."

Lo and behold, Mr Chaibou allowed nine minutes of injury time (even though the fourth official had signalled only four), then awarded Argentina a bizarre penalty. Nigerian defender Efe Ambrose clearly controlled the ball with his thigh but Mr Chaibou awarded a penalty for handball. Mauro Bosselli took the spot kick, fifth goal went in and the match ended Nigeria 4, Argentina 1. The internet gamblers were the only winners.

At the time FIFA President Sepp Blatter said there would be fair hearing on the issue adding: ''We have voted huge funds on investigations of match fixing and there will be zero tolerance on corruption.”

And that’s the last we’ve heard. Mr Chaibou remains unsuspended and free to referee at the top level. Now look, I’m not in a position to say Mr Chaibou is corrupt. I’m just pointing out that he’s been under scrutiny ever since FIFA announced on June 2 they were “studying betting patterns during the match as part of a wider ongoing FIFA investigation."

And hey, Mr Chaibou retired this year as he hits the referee’s retirement age of 45. Soon he’ll be history. But what you have to ask is: How did he get to referee that game against Guatemala? Did he really fail to notice the Togo side in Bahrain weren’t real international footballers? Why did he allow the game in Abuja to go on and on?

Match-fixing is, as we all know, as lethal to footballing credibility as performance-enhancing drugs are to athletics and cycling.

And then consider the case of Phil Setshedi, the former Bafana Bafana assistant coach, and his recent run-in with South Africa’s special police unit, The Hawks, earlier this month. Apparently Mr Setshedi was keen on seeing a team called Mpumalanga Sevutsa Stars beat Garankuwa United in their feeder division play-offs in Cape Town last month. So keen he offered a policeman, posing as the match referee, R2,000 to ensure the right result.

South African police spokesman McIntosh Polela is quoted as saying: "A member of the Hawks who posed as a match referee met up with the identified suspect at the Southern Sun Hotel in Cape Town. During this meeting the suspect offered to pay the agent in order to secure a win for Mpumalanga Sevutsa.

"Rakhange Humphrey Setshedi was granted bail of R10,000 and ordered to appear again on 9 September... he has surrendered his passport and will report to the Sandton police station twice a week.”

With Greece charging 84 football officials over corruption surrounding 54 games over the last two years, South Korea arresting five players and Mexico also investigating similar charges, South Africa is in danger of being dragged into the grey area of match-fixing.

So far SAFA have made all the right noises with spokesman Morio Sanyane insisting yesterday: "We take this opportunity to assure FIFA of our unqualified cooperation and support should they institute any form of investigation.

"Should any of our administrative members be found to have played any role in the matter, the association will, without hesitation, take appropriate action against the culprits in order to protect its integrity.

“As things stand, we want to believe that the matches under question were played in the spirit of fair play.”

As I said on South Africa's eNews television channel yesterday, so do we, Mr Sanyane, so do we.

Sepp Blatter is Superman. Pass me the Krytonite, Danny Jordaan.

“Sepp Blatter is Superman.” That’s what some bloke called (deep breath) Liutauras Varanavicius told England's Daily Telegraph as he arrived in Zurich for today's FIFA Presidency vote. Lit, as I like to call him, is the president of the mighty Lithuanian Football Association.

Inside the footballing halls of power, Blatter greeted the 208 members of his footballing congress by confirming he is, by a remarkable twist of FIFA fate, the only candidate after Qatar’s suspended representative Mohamed Bin Hammam withdrew on Sunday.

Yes, Bin Hammam. The man who persuaded FIFA his tiny, overheated, oily emirate should be awarded the 2022 World Cup ahead of mighty Australia last December.

Jack Warner, the CONCACAF bloke who is also currently suspended, has blown the lid on Blatter’s over-long reign. He showed us an email from Blatter’s oily henchman Jerome Valcke which said “Qatar cannot buy the FIFA Presidency like they did the World Cup.”

Bosh. Done. Blatter’s reign must end. The decision to go ahead with Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 must be reviewed.

Both the English and Scottish FAs earlier today called on FIFA to delay Blatter’s one-man election – but with Lithuanians and the like around, it just ain’t going to happen to Superman.

Unless Michael Platini, the head of UEFA, can be persuaded to run – or perhaps Danny Jordaan, the South African who ran the 2010 show so well - we may just have to accept another four years of Septic Blatter, 75, who has been in charge of the world game since 1998.

The FA statement insisted: “An external party should be appointed to improve governance of FIFA.”

Anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International joined the chorus, with Sylvia Schenk, their senior advisor on Sport, saying: "Free and fair elections cannot take place when there is a suspicion that voters may have been swayed. Fifa delegates know that they must clean house if their vote is to have legitimacy."

Stewart Regan, chief executive officer of the Scottish FA, said his organisation wanted the vote postponed for three to six months while there was an independent review into the matter.

He said: “Things are changing on an hourly basis so we’ll decide as close to the vote as possible about what well do with our vote.”

Delays? Independent reviews? Preposterous. Blatter would never allow it.

The sad old dictator who frantically waved his ethics booklet around when verbally savaged by journalists in Monday night’s classic press conference opened his congress last night by saying: “I thought that we were living in a world of fair play, mutual respect and discipline, and I must say this is not the case any.

“It’s no longer the case because our pyramid of Fifa is suddenly unstable on its basis and there’s a danger.”

At least he’s admitting that much. The night before he was insisting there was no crisis and telling us to be elegant and respectful.

Blatter, standing for a fourth term in his personal FIFAdom, said he would speak to delegates tomorrow, is reported to have told the English Daily Telegraph he will be telling his delegates today “about this danger that’s lurking and tell you how we can fight and react to this threat.”

But football can take guidance from that other famously troubled international sporting body, the International Olympic Committe. Their president, Jacques Rogge (pictured with Blatter above), took the chance to tell FIFA’s delegates: “Thirteen years ago we were having to face the same ordeal in the Salt Lake City case. The IOC ultimately emerged a stronger organisation, and from within. Our past calls for humility, and I will definitely not point the finger or lecture you. I’m sure FIFA can emerge stronger, and from within.”

We can only pray that happens. I'm not holding my breath.

Who the hell is Neal Collins (nealcol on Twitter)? See www.nealcollins.co.uk.