Fifa crisis: South Africa 'admits $10m football payout'

South Africa did pay $10m (£6.5m) to a football body led by Jack Warner, a figure at the centre of Fifa corruption allegations, local media say.

Danny Jordaan, head of South Africa's FA, is quoted as confirming that the amount was deducted from a Fifa payment to the country in 2008.

A subsequent letter requested that money to be sent, instead, to the Caribbean Football Union, reports say.

South African officials deny it was a bribe to secure the 2010 World Cup.

But US prosecutors insist South Africa made an illegal payment after the government promised $10m to Mr Warner - then a Fifa vice-president - in exchange for the "Rainbow Nation" becoming the first African country to host the World Cup.

Fifa chose South Africa as host ahead of Morocco.

LOS ANGELES, California (AFP) -- Former FIFA Vice-President Jack Warner has blasted the United States, saying charges against him and other FIFA officials are motivated by the Americans' desire to host the World Cup.
News of Warner's attack came after South Africa admitted yesterday that it paid US$10 million in 2008 but denied it was in any way a bribe to FIFA for the 2010 World Cup in the latest twist to the massive corruption scandal engulfing world football's governing body.
Two separate investigations are being carried out by American and Swiss authorities for alleged rampant and long-running corruption within FIFA, with several top officials arrested and accused by US investigators of taking tens of millions of dollars in bribes.
"All of this stems from a lost bid to host the 2022 World Cup," said Warner, who is one of nine FIFA officials indicted on corruption charges by Swiss and US authorities.