FIFA ban: George Mandela speaks out

Ugandan football George Mandela who was last month banned by FIFA for life over match manipulation has denied ever being involved in the act.

Mandela who was reported to FIFA by his former club Kakamega Boyz believes the club chairman did not listen to him.

"These allegations started when I was in Uganda after taking a few days off from Kenya since I was sick. When I was in Uganda, I started receiving calls from different people including the club chairman Cleophas Shimanyula claiming that we fixed the game against Mathare, which I didn't even play in. The chairman (Shimanyula) could not listen to me despite trying to ask him to explain to me instead he threatened me. That made me not to return to Uganda," Mandela said.

Mandela also revealed that when he contacted his former coach Paul Nkata who was sacked by Kakamega over the same allegations he denied being involved in such.

"He told me that he did not know anything about the allegations. I am not sure if what he was telling me was right or wrong. If had been involved, maybe FIFA would not have cleared him," he said.

Mandela who spent most of his playing career in Kenya also denied that any of his parents was Kenyan. By the time of his ban by FIFA, Mandela was featuring for Gadaffi FC, a side that plays in the Eastern region league.

Given his central role in the conspiracy, Mandela was banned by FIFA from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level (administrative, sports or any other) for life.

However, the three other players Moses Chikati, Festus Okiring and Festo Omukoto all from Kenya were only banned for four years.