Taking bribes According to the Nigerian Football Association it is OK for a referee to take a bribe as long as it does not influence the decisions on the field. This is a fine policy. This sound like it is OK to cheat as long as you do not get caught or it is OK to rob from the rich if you give to the poor.

If there is going to be game fixing or officials on the field who are biased at least let the paying customer think that the game is not pre-decided. How many people want to pay their hard earned bucks to watch something that will not be decided on the field of play. We could just post the results and declare a Champion.

Fanny Amun, acting Secretary-General of the Nigerian Football Association, said at a soccer seminar earlier this week, “Referees should only pretend to fall for the bait, but make sure the result doesn’t favor those offering the bribe.”

Maybe this explains why the policy was stated:

"Despite a high-profile campaign to stamp out graft in the impoverished African country, Nigeria consistently ranks among the most corrupt countries in the world -- and soccer is no exception."


Go here for the article.  ¶ 10:44