African referee gets life ban for taking bribes

Referee Ibrahim Chaibou of Niger has been handed a lifetime ban for taking bribes, world football's ruling body FIFA said on Thursday.

FIFA also fined Chaibu 177,000 euros ($226,000) and barred the 52-year-old from all soccer related activity for life.

"Mr Chaibou has been banned for life from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level," FIFA's independent Ethics Committee said in a statement on Thursday.

Chaibou famously handed out several penalties in a 2010 friendly match between South Africa and Guatemala where gambling patterns sparked an official probe.