25 Asiagate players banned from national team activities

vice-president Ndumiso Gumede, identified 85 players who took part in the alleged match-fixing games that saw Zimbabwe dropping on the Fifa rankings.
Of the 85 players, 51 were classified as having been passive participants after only having played in two or less games, four fell in the active category and featured in a minimum of three matches with the remaining 25 players being listed as hyperactive.
The hyperactive players are those who played in more than four games.
Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze yesterday said senior national soccer team coach Norman Mapeza was on Monday advised that he should not consider the hyperactive players for upcoming matches.
This means that Kaizer Chiefs’ Thomas Sweswe, who played 15 games, his clubmate Willard Katsande, Vietnam-based Justice Majabvi, Warriors skipper Method Mwanjali, who turns out for Mamelodi Sundowns, and Sudan-based striker Edward Sadomba will not be representing Zimbabwe until the Asiagate matter has been finalised.
Sweswe tops the list, having played in 15 of those matches, Sadomba and Mwanjali, who seemed to have fallen out of favour with Mapeza, participated in seven games with Katsande featuring five times.
The latest development means that the Warriors doors have been closed for FC Platinum’s quartet of Gilbert Banda, Ali Sadiki, Tafadzwa Dube and Tsungai Mudzamiri.
The Zvishavane club should start looking for replacements, especially in the goalkeepers’ department, in the event that the Justice Ebrahim probe team thinks of suspending all the players from all football activities after completing their investigations in March.
Some players who were hyperactive and have passed their peak to be considered for national duty, like Motor Action’s Edward Tembo, Lionel Mutizwa, retired Johannes Ngodzo, club-less Danisa Phiri, Mtshumayeli Moyo, Philip Marufu, Kingstone Nkhata, Costa Nhamoinesu and Caps United’s Menard Mupera might not be bothered by the decision.
Bidvest Wits goalkeeper Energy Murambadoro, who quit the national team two years ago, Richard Mteki, Elvis Meleka, who was reportedly said to be in Russia for trials, Beaven Chikaka and Eusebio Manwere complete the banned players.
Mashingaidze said some of the regular national team players who are under the active and passive categories would know their fate after the investigating committee finalises its findings.
Players like Ovidy Karuru, Joel Ngodzo, Khama Billiat, Gilbert Mapemba, Zhaimu Jambo, Washington Arubi, Zephaniah Ngodzo and Daniel Veremu who were passive participants lived to die another day.
He said there would be no sacred cows, with the coaches set to follow.
“We better fail with committed, patriotic players than qualify with traitors. Justice shall prevail and lots of things will come up when the Justice Ebrahim committee begins its one month-long hearing that starts in mid-February.
“On behalf of Zifa, I want to assure the general public, corporate world and other stakeholders that there shall be no sacred cows and whoever is found guilty, be it the coaches, players or board members, should be accountable for their actions. We will definitely wield the axe,” Mashingaidze said.
In August of 2007, this paper exposed that players and officials had been handsomely paid with officials buying expensive cars.
Some players extended or bought houses.
All the Asia trips were not sanctioned by the Sport and Recreation Commission and some board members were not aware of the goings-on, with former chairman Wellington Nyatanga and ex-chief executive officer Henrietta Rushwaya, who went on to lose her job, fingered in the Ndumiso Gumede report.