Uganda Football Federation (FUFA) has taken a significant step in tackling match-fixing by banning 13 individuals, including 10 referees, following a successful investigation into a South African-based match-fixing syndicate.
The syndicate, led by Hilfiger Mutyaba, targeted seven games across the second divisions of men’s and women’s football in Uganda between October and December last year.
FUFA’s investigatory chamber, with the help of FIFA and sports data company Sportradar, detected abnormal betting patterns and gathered “incontrovertible” evidence against the individuals involved.
The match-fixing syndicate recruited referees, club officials, and players to fix matches, with Mutyaba using his criminal network to place bets both locally and internationally.
The banned individuals include a player and two administrators who have been handed provisional 90-day bans.
They have the right to appeal to FUFA’S ethics committee, and if found guilty, could face criminal charges under Uganda’s National Sports Act, which criminalized match-fixing last year.
FUFA’S legal manager Denis Lukambi emphasized the importance of collective effort in fighting match-fixing, saying, “We call upon all Ugandans that match-fixing must be fought collectively, irrespective of your role.”
The federation has launched an anti-match-fixing campaign and is working to eradicate the vice from Ugandan football.
