African football is facing increasing demands to enhance its mechanisms against match manipulation, as ongoing disciplinary cases reveal vulnerabilities within current integrity frameworks.
Moses Swaibu, a former professional footballer and founder of the integrity technology company GC360, shared insights on the issue. He stated, "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's work has involved collaborations with Fifa, UEFA, the FA, the Premier League, and the PFA. He cautions that, while reports of suspicious activities are rising, they do not necessarily indicate an increase in match manipulation. "Rising alert volumes do not automatically mean rising manipulation. They often mean monitoring is getting better," he commented. Swaibu emphasized, "What we can say with confidence is that the infrastructure to detect manipulation is strengthening in Africa faster than the infrastructure to prevent it."
He underscored the sophistication of syndicates targeting African football, noting, "They are international, sophisticated and they understand the market."
In a significant development in June 2024, the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) provisionally suspended 13 individuals amid an investigation into a suspected multi-match-fixing scheme. This involved ten referees, two football administrators, and one player. FUFA's investigation, with assistance from Fifa, identified a syndicate reportedly based in South Africa. This group allegedly approached referees and players to fix seven matches played in Uganda’s men’s second division and women’s football during October and November 2023. According to FUFA legal manager Denis Lukambi, 99% of the fixing activities were linked to betting, involving money wagered both domestically and internationally.
Fifa responded by extending global sanctions against seven Ugandans previously sanctioned by FUFA. This included five players receiving five-year bans, while two referees faced 10-year bans. In November 2024, FUFA's Ethics and Disciplinary Committee took further action, sanctioning 12 more individuals connected to a foreign betting syndicate, with penalties ranging from one-year to lifetime bans.
Continuing its efforts, FUFA pursued cases into 2026. In June 2026, it found four players and a club administrator guilty of manipulating a match in the Uganda Premier League between Lugazi FC and Buhimba United Saints, resulting in a 5-2 final score. Former player Feni Ali received a lifetime ban for facilitating connections between players and match fixers.
Swaibu explains that financial hardship is a key factor that makes players and referees susceptible to manipulation. “The entry point is always the same. It is not greed. It is financial vulnerability,” he explained. Players or referees struggling to pay rent are more easily influenced than those motivated by luxury. He draws parallels to experiences in England, stating, “The fixing happens in the lower divisions. The second divisions, the women’s leagues, the youth competitions.” He references Burundi’s case, where six players and a director were banned for accepting ten times their salary for deliberately underperforming, highlighting the precarious economic situation of athletes.
In Mali, integrity issues have also emerged, with the Malian Football Federation (FEMAFOOT) referring a June 10 Ligue 1 match to its Independent Ethics Commission. This fixture involves Afrique Football Elite and AS Korofina but no accusations of manipulation have yet been directed at any party involved.
Meanwhile, Kenya is advancing its legislative framework to combat match-fixing through the Sports (Amendment) Bill of 2026. This bill, which passed the National Assembly on August 19, proposes defining manipulation more clearly and stipulating penalties that could include fines or imprisonment. If enacted as passed, the amended bill would empower the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to probe potential criminal liability alongside ongoing sports disciplinary processes.
This legislative proposal follows a May 2025 finding by Fifa, which discovered match manipulation activities linked to the Kenyan club Muhoroni Youth. Swaibu observes that fixing now permeates all levels of Kenyan football. Nairobi City Stars chief executive Patrick Korir welcomed the proposed reforms but voiced concerns that legislation alone won't eradicate the issue, citing financial pressures as a significant factor that has led some clubs to the edge of collapse.
Kentucky Football Federation president Hussein Mohammed's initiative to address salary arrears for referees was highlighted by Swaibu as a proactive strategy to prevent manipulation, stating, “If you are not paying your referees, you are not protecting your competition.”
The challenges of match manipulation are not exclusive to Africa. Cross-border betting networks and advancements in technology are complicating integrity efforts globally. However, progress is evident with Uganda's disciplinary actions, Mali's independent investigations, and Kenya's potential criminal sanctions. Swaibu stresses the broader implications of manipulated matches, saying, "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 activities increase, the emphasis on integrity becomes crucial, leading Swaibu to recommend that integrity monitoring should be a fundamental component of market development from the beginning rather than a retrofitted measure. He concluded, “Africa is a priority market for us. The growth is real, the vulnerability is real, and the infrastructure that protects players at the point of approach is what is missing.” The challenge lies in ensuring that sporting bodies and lawmakers evolve at the pace required to address these pressing concerns.
