Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - FIFA released a statement requesting for more information after Saudi Arabia banned one of their own referees for life over a match-fixing attempt weeks before he was due to fly to Russia for the World Cup.

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation says Fahad Al Mirdasi asked for money to help a team win.

“Fifa notes the information that referee Fahad Al Mirdasi has allegedly been banned from all football-related activities by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF),” FIFA told BBC Sport.

Mirdasi was dropped from refereeing Saturday’s King’s Cup final after an investigation was opened. The SAFF says Al Mirdasi used the WhatsApp messaging service to ask Al-Ittihad official Hamad al-Senaei for money ahead of the game against Al-Faisaly.

He is one of 36 referees chosen by FIFA to work the 64 games at the World Cup.

FIFA says it “notes the information that referee Fahad Al Mirdasi has allegedly been banned for life from all football-related activities” and is now requesting more information from the SAFF.

*Agencies