African football is facing increased scrutiny regarding match manipulation, highlighting significant deficiencies in its current integrity systems amid various disciplinary cases and concerns over organized crime networks.
Moses Swaibu, a former professional footballer and the CEO of sports integrity technology company GC360, shared his insights, stating, "I speak from experience. I was a professional footballer [who] was recruited, and then I did the recruiting. I know how the grooming works because I did it."
Swaibu, who has worked on integrity education with FIFA, UEFA, the FA, the Premier League, and the PFA, cautioned against interpreting rising reports of suspicious activity as automatically indicative of increased manipulation. "Rising alert volumes do not automatically mean rising manipulation. They often mean monitoring is getting better," he noted. He also emphasized that while detection infrastructure in Africa is improving, it still lags behind the initiatives needed to prevent manipulation.
He stressed that the syndicates targeting African football are not mere "local opportunists," but are sophisticated international networks that understand the market dynamics.
In Uganda, significant developments occurred in June 2024 when the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) provisionally suspended 13 individuals amid an investigation into a suspected multi-match-fixing scheme involving ten referees, two football administrators, and one player. This investigation, aided by FIFA, identified an organized syndicate based in South Africa, which had allegedly approached individuals involved in seven matches during October and November 2023 across the men’s second division and women’s leagues.
Denis Lukambi, FUFA's legal manager, revealed that 99% of the fixing activity was betting related, with financial transactions occurring both domestically and internationally. Following these findings, FIFA extended global sanctions against seven Ugandans already facing domestic penalties, resulting in five players receiving five-year bans and two referees being banned for ten years.
The crackdown by FUFA extended into November 2024, when its Ethics and Disciplinary Committee sanctioned 12 more individuals linked to a foreign betting syndicate — one received a lifetime ban, with the others facing one to ten-year bans. Further actions continued into 2026, where four players and a club administrator were found guilty of manipulating a Uganda Premier League match. Former player Feni Ali received a lifetime ban for acting as an intermediary between the players and match-fixers.
Swaibu pointed out that financial vulnerability is a major vulnerability exploited by fixers. He explained, "The entry point is always the same. It is not greed. It is financial vulnerability. A player or a referee who cannot pay their rent is easier to recruit than one who wants a Ferrari." He noted that the trend of match-fixing is prevalent in lower divisions, similar to his observations in England. He cited Burundi as an example, where players were previously banned for deliberately underperforming for monetary rewards.
In Mali, the Malian Football Federation (FEMAFOOT) is addressing integrity concerns regarding a match on June 10, involving Afrique Football Elite and AS Korofina, which has been referred to its Independent Ethics Commission for investigation.
Meanwhile, in Kenya, regulatory measures are being reviewed to enhance the legal framework around match-fixing. The Sports (Amendment) Bill, 2026, introduced by Irene Mayaka, was passed by the National Assembly on August 19, aiming to define manipulation in various forms, including conspiring to fix results and exploiting insider information. When enacted, this legislation could impose fines up to three times the value involved and imprisonment for up to five years.
This bill is significant in light of FIFA’s findings from May 2025, which implicated Kenyan club Muhoroni Youth in match manipulation activities categorized as part of an international conspiracy. Swaibu highlighted that match-fixing is pervasive throughout various levels of Kenyan football, leading to significant consequences for clubs. Nairobi City Stars’ CEO, Patrick Korir, expressed concerns that many clubs are on the verge of closure due to these issues, emphasizing that legislation alone is insufficient to resolve the crisis. He noted efforts by Kenya Football Federation president Hussein Mohammed to address salary arrears for match officials as a critical preventive measure.
This issue is not confined to African football alone. The rise of cross-border betting networks and intermediaries has posed challenges for integrity organizations worldwide.
Swaibu reiterated the seriousness of manipulated matches, stating, "It erodes confidence in the entire market built around it. Leagues, broadcasters, sponsors, and bettors all depend on the underlying product being real. As African betting volumes rise, so does the importance of protecting them. Integrity must become a formal part of licensing across the continent."
He argued that effective measures need to be prioritized because suspicious betting can cross borders in an instant, whereas disciplinary and criminal proceedings take considerably longer, putting African sports at a disadvantage as they strive to keep pace with rapidly changing betting landscapes.
