FIFA has extended a lifetime ban imposed on Michael Boateng (pictured) for his involvement in match manipulation to have a worldwide effect. Boateng was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment at Birmingham Crown Court on 17 June last year for being part of a group that attempted to fix games in the lower divisions of English football. He was later charged by England’s Football Association (FA) under Rule E5, and was given a lifetime suspension.

‘Michael Boateng admitted to charges laid against him by The FA for several breaches of The FA Rules, including accepting a bribe, gift, reward or other consideration which was, or appeared to be, related to seeking to influence the outcome or conduct of a match or competition’, read FIFA’s statement. ‘The player also admitted to the charge of failing to report the offer made to him. The charges relate to matches in the Conference South in the sixth tier of the English football league system in 2013. The chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided to extend the sanction to have worldwide effect, in accordance with article 78 paragraph 1(c) and article 136 ff. of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.’

The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) found that Boateng, a former player for Conference South side Whitehawk FC, had accepted cash from Chann Sankaran and Krishna Ganeshan to manipulate Conference South games. The trio were also charged with attempting to fix a 26 November 2013 match between AFC Wimbledon and Dagenham & Redbridge in League Two, the fourth tier of English professional football. ‘Over a seven day period in November 2013, NCA surveillance of the men provided enough evidence to secure their convictions, despite the failure of their plot to fix a match between AFC Wimbledon and Dagenham & Redbridge on 26 November’, read an NCA statement.