Lausanne, March 15

Three more former South African Football Association (SAFA) officials have been banned in relation to friendlies played by the national side in 2010, said on Monday.

Leslie Sedibe, a former SAFA chief executive, was suspended for five years and fined $20,250 by FIFA's Ethics Committee. Steve Goddard and Adeel Carelse, former heads of SAFA's refereeing department, were banned for two years, FIFA announced in a statement. The cases were linked to that of former SAFA executive member and head of referees Lindile Kika who was suspended for six years.

FIFA said Sedibe, Goddard and Carelse had infringed ethics regulations concerning general rules of conduct, loyalty and disclosure, cooperation and reporting. Sedibe denied any wrongdoing, saying he had not met convicted Singapore-based match-fixer Wilson Perumal at SAFA's headquarters to discuss match officials. "You’ve all been told lies that I met Wilson Perumal at SAFA's house," Sedibe said. "I put out a challenge to FIFA to inspect my financial records including those of any person deemed to be connected to me for purposes of establishing whether I have received questionable payments.

"I said to them if you find anything, even if it’s a cent that I cannot explain, and the source of that cent, find me guilty," he added.