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THE South African Football Association (Safa) and Bafana Bafana’s appeal to have the match against Ghana replayed was dismissed by the Fifa Disciplinary Committee yesterday afternoon.

This is a big blow to Safa, who lodged a protest and put up a brave fight to have the match replayed.

This means Ghana will advance to the last stage of the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifier.

This is after Ghana defeated South Africa in the last match of the qualifiers via dubious officiating from Senegalese referee Maguatte Ndiaye.

Reads the e-mail response from Fifa sent to Sunday World on Friday afternoon: “The protest lodged by South Africa has been declared inadmissible by the Disciplinary Committee as it did not meet the requirements foreseen under article 46 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code and article 14 of the Regulations of the Preliminary Competition of the Fifa World Cup 2022.

The decision is subject to appeal.”

This new pronouncement by Fifa will upset millions of Bafana supporters who are of the opinion that coach Hugo Broos’ young boys were cheated in their 1-0 defeat in the Cape Coast in Ghana.

Safa officials, led by CEO Tebogo Motlanthe and President Danny Jordaan, lodged a protest and declared that there was match-manipulation in that final qualifier.

Safa called for the referee Ndiaye to be banned for life and that South Africa be given the three points/or the match to be replayed at a neutral venue.

But the Fifa DC did not see any merit to South Africa’s appeal and the decision goes in favour of the Black Stars. South Africa has the right to appeal the verdict. — Sunday World