D-day for 'match-fixers'
Life bans are likely to be handed out to the key culprits in Zimbabwe's Asiagate match-fixing scandal this week, including players and coaches in the Premier Soccer League as the long saga finally comes to an end.
Among those nervously awaiting the decision of the Zimbabwe Football Association are the Mamelodi Sundowns pair of Method Mwanjali and Nyasha Mushekwi, the Bidvest Wits defender Thomas Sweswe, and Black Leopards coach Sunday Chidzambwa.
Zifa have promised to release findings of an independent commission tomorrow, although they have a history of changing their minds. The findings will pronounce judgment on 54 players and officials. It comes just a week after Fifa president Sepp Blatter insisted that harsh punishment be meted out to those involved in match-fixing.
Zimbabwean coaches and players are accused of receiving payments from an Asian betting syndicate to lose friendly matches on trips to Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Oman, Jordan, Bulgaria, China, Thailand and Yemen between 2007 and 2009 in a scandal that has rocked the foundations of football in the country.
Mwanjali has already confessed to taking money and contriving results. A total of 98 players, coaches and officials were implicated but 44 have since been cleared by an independent commission headed by retired Justice Ahmed Ibrahim. But its work has been slow and laborious because Zifa have run out of funds to pay the legal experts.
They sought financial assistance from Fifa two months ago to keep the commission running. Blatter last week again stressed the need for lifetime bans for those involved.
According to Blatter, match-fixing is the "devil in our game which must be quashed".
"All those that are involved should be banned for life, no exception, because this is the essence of football. If you know before the game starts who will be the winner then something is totally wrong," Blatter said.
Other Zimbabwean players implicated are Washington Arubi and Lionel Mtizwa (both Pretoria University); Zhaimu Jambo and Mathew Rusike (both Kaizer Chiefs); Gilbert Mapemba (Swallows); Tafadzwa Rusike (Ajax Cape Town); Ramson Zhuwawo (AmaZulu) and Norman Mapeza (ex-Ajax).