The Federation of International Football Association has banned Niger referee, Ibrahim Chaibou from every football related activities for life.
Chaibou who was at the center during Nigeria and Argentina game where he awarded a controversial penalty against Efe Ambrose, has been enmeshed in several bribery and match-fixing scandals.
A statement from FIFA’s independent ethic committee reads, “Mr Chaibou has been banned for life from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international levels.
Interestingly, Chaibou was the center-referee when Nigeria hosted Argentina in June 2011, awarding a non-existent penalty for a handball against defender Efe Ambrose.
Reacting after the match that ended 4-1 he claimed he did not want anyone to feel sad hence he awarded the spot-kick.
“I judged it to be a penalty, so I gave a penalty … to make everyone happy. That’s it,” Chaibou said in a telephone conversation with AP in February 2013.
However, ex FIFA investigator, Chris Eaton, who led FIFA’s probe of Chaibou before quitting in 2012 dismissed the statement describing the retired referee as courageous for awarding late spot-kick during matches.
“It wasn’t courage, it was pure unadulterated corrupt greed,” said Eaton, a former detective and Interpol official. He praised FIFA for pursuing the referee long after Chaibou’s mandatory retirement from the international list of approved referees after turning 45 in 2011.
“It’s a well-deserved shaming of the man who disgraced African football more than any other,” he submitted.
