Disgraced Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey has finally opened up, seven months after being slapped with a life-time ban by FIFA for match manipulation, insisting it was a human error.
Lamptey was handed a life ban by the world governing body for manipulating the 2018 World Cup qualifier between South Africa and Senegal played in November last year.
He awarded a dubious penalty in the 43rd minute to the home side to break the deadlock.
The incident which was clearly not a penalty as many video angles showed landed the controversial Ghanaian referee into trouble as he was handed a three months ban by CAF.
Just as J.O. Lamptey was on the verge of completing serving his ban, FIFA slapped him with a hefty life time decision which will see him aborting his dreams of officiating at the highest level of football, the World Cup.
The Ghanaian has finally opened up on the controversial decision, insisting it was a human error.
“I deeply love Senegal. I can tell you that I felt deep pain after having done such an injustice against that country. I really love your country. My mistake was never intentional. That happens to you in your line of work as a journalist,” he is quoted by Senegal News Agency
Right or wrong? It is truly a human error but never did I want to do something against Senegal or its interests. When I came back from the match in South Africa, my wife kept asking me what I had done to the Senegalese people.
“I told her so many times that it was a huge error I made against a country I adore.”
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed the appeal of controversial Ghanaian referee to overturn the decision of FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee to hand him a lifetime ban.
FIFA has ordered a replay of the match between South Africa and Senegal.