HEADS TO ROLL AT SAFA IN FIXING SCANDAL

South African Football Association (Safa) CEO Robin Petersen said that heads would roll after receiving a 500-page report from FIFA which had “compelling evidence” that some Bafana matches prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup were fixed. The report accuses Safa officials of having complicity in the matter and says that various officials had interactions with a scam football development company Football 4U, which was a front for an Asian-based betting syndicate headed by now-convicted match fixer, Wilson Raj Perumal. Perumal is currently under house arrest in Hungary, and matches under investigation include Bafana’s 4-0 triumph over Thailand and their 2-1 victory over Colombia on May 27 2010, with all Bafana’s goals coming from penalties, one of which had to be retaken. Petersen and other Safa officials were set to meet on Sunday to further discuss the report and decide the fate of those officials implicated.

MCLAREN CALLED UP TO REPLACE PARNELL

Ryan McLaren has been recalled to the Proteas T20 team to play New Zealand in three T20 internationals starting on Friday. Parnell has been ruled out for two weeks with a wrist injury. McLaren last played for the Proteas in a T20 against Zimbabwe in 2010; he went wicketless in that match, and has since played three one-day internationals, the last one against England at Lord’s in September where he took one wicket.

CORINTHIANS BAG CLUB WORLD CUP

The Brazilian outfit Corinthians beat Chelsea 1-0 in the Club World Cup in Japan on Sunday to claim the honours. Guerrero netted for the Brazillian giants from Sao Paulo, who bagged their second intercontinental title – they won the FIFA Club World Championship in 2000.

LANCE’S DOCTOR DENIES DOPING

Michele Ferrari, Lance Armstrong’s former doctor, said on Friday that he had never seen the disgraced seven-time Tour de France winner dope. The doctor also said that he had almost no relationship with other cyclists who accused him of being at the centre of the doping storm. Ferrari told al-Jazeera that Armstrong never asked him for information on doping and insists that he is part of a conspiracy to  him a scapegoat in order to ease any sanctions his accusers might face.

LE CLOS CONTINUES TO SHINE

South Africa’s swimming sensation Chad le Clos won South Africa’s second medal on the penultimate day of the World Short-Course Championships in Istanbul on Saturday. He won silver in the men’s 50 metre butterfly, finishing 0.04 seconds behind Brazil’s Nicholas Santos. Le Clos won gold in the men’s 100 metre butterfly on Thursday.

MAMABOLO COULD BE CLEARED

Comrades Marathon winner Ludwick Mamabolo will know in the middle of January whether the doping charges against him will be withdrawn. An independent tribunal reserved judgement on Friday after the athlete’s legal team applied for the case against him to be withdrawn. Mamabolo  had tested positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine following his victory in the ultra marathon in June. Advocate Gilbert Marcus SC reported several mistakes with the process when Mamabolo was tested, repoortedly pointing out 14 irregularities.

REST DAY ADDED FOR US OPEN

The U.S. Open is moving the women’s final to Sunday and men’s final to Monday in 2013 to add a rest day ahead of the title match for the first time. The changes are, as they stand, only for next year and a decision about 2014 and beyond will come only after the 2013 tournament.

KHAN WINS AGAIN AFTER TWO DEFEATS

Amir Khan, the British boxer, got back to his winning ways after two defeats with a 10th round stoppage of the previously unbeaten American Carlos Molina in a light-welterweight contest on Saturday. Khan (27-3, 19 KOs) was in control of every round and after warning that he was close to stopping the fight in the ninth round, referee Jack Reiss waved off the fight at the end of the 10th following another one-sided round.

GUN ROW A WARNING FOR BRAZIL WORLD CUP: BLATTER

The abandonment of last Wednesday’s Copa Sudamericana final following shocking accusations police had pulled guns on players should serve as a warning for Brazil’s World Cup organizers, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Saturday. Argentina’s Tigre refused to emerge for the second half after claims of police brutality, leaving Sao Paulo to pick up the trophy and heightening concerns over security for 2014.

ASIA BAG ROYAL TROPHY AFTER PLAYOFF WIN AGAINST EUROPE

Asia bagged the Royal Trophy in thrilling fashion on Sunday, ousting Europe in a sudden-death playoff to complete a stunning comeback in the team match-play competition after the contest had finished level at 8-8. South Korean Kim Kyung-tae rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th, the first playoff hole, as he and compatriot Yang Yong-eun saw off Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts and Francesco Molinari of Italy in the fourball decider. 

PSL WEEKEND RESULTS

Golden Arrows 2 – 0 Ajax Cape Town

Bloem Celtic 2 – 1 Moroka Swallows

SuperSport United 0 – 1 Platinum Stars

Bidvest Wits 0 – 2 Mamelodi Sundowns

Kaizer Chiefs 1 – 1 University of Pretoria

Black Leopards 1 – 2 Free State Stars

Chippa United 1 – 1 AmaZulu

Maritzburg Utd 1 – 2 Orlando Pirates

EPL WEEKEND RESULTS 

Tottenham 1 – 0 Swansea

Stoke 1 – 1 Everton

QPR 2 – 1 Fulham

Norwich 2 – 1 Wigan

Newcastle 1 – 3 Man City

Man Utd 3 – 1 Sunderland

Liverpool 1 – 3 Aston Villa

West Brom 0-0 West Ham DM

Photo: Amir Khan of Britain (L) lands a punch on Carlos Molina of the U.S. during their WBC Silver Super Lightweight title bout in Los Angeles, California, December 15, 2012. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson