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This came to light yesterday when the national soccer controlling body disclosed that new findings and lack of co-operation from some of the suspects had seen them fail to conclude their exercise by yesterday. Last month, Zifa set 8 August as the date by which they ought to have been through with investigations.
Zifa, stung by some shocking revelations by players and coaches that the Warriors threw matches in Asia and Europe, appointed a committee of distinguished personalities to investigate the allegations.
This was after Ndumiso Gumede, Elliot Kasu, Fungai Marange and Benedict Moyo had in an initial finding, established that over 100 Zimbabweans had taken part in trips to Asia in matches suspected to have been run by betting syndicates.
Raj Perumal of Singapore, who is believed to have been the chief organiser of the games, is serving time in Finland for match-fixing in a scam that sucked in five Zambian players.
Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze confirmed yesterday that there would be a press conference in Harare this morning where Justice Ebrahim, who heads the ethics committee, would update the nation on the progress they had made.
Mashingaidze said the committee had failed to meet the 8 August deadline they had set due to new evidence.
Games involving the national Under-20, Under-23, the Warriors and Monomotapa sucked in some of the best players the senior national team could be utilising at the moment.
Monomotapa travelled to Malaysia disguised as the Warriors in 2009.
Their Champions League campaign was embroiled in controversy with allegations of the betting syndicates surfacing and coaches and players fighting over the issue.
A senior Zifa employee at the time is alleged to have been in touch with the Monomotapa technical team instructing them to design a particular result.
“I can confirm that the ethics committee will disclose to the nation what progress they have made. They will explain why it has taken so long and the new twists to the case that have since emerged.
“For the rest of the details unfortunately they are not mandated to speak to the media, they will do so tomorrow when they disclose their position so far,” said Mashingaidze.
The Zifa chief executive said they were keen to see the Asiagate chapter closed with the nation moving forward with other football programmes.
“Yes it has taken too long. It is not an easy exercise because the consequences at the end will have far reaching results on our game whose image we are eager to clean.
“We have all the confidence in the work the committee has done so far. They have the board and soccer family’s support, what we are asking for is the nation’s patience as we try to close a sad chapter in our football history. When they are done with the exercise, there will be shocking revelations,” said Mashingaidze.
Mashingaidze did not rule out the possibility of some players being exonerated from wrong doing.
“Obviously it would be a good boost for the nation if more players are exonerated from any wrong doing taking into consideration the forthcoming crucial match against Angola for the ticket to the Africa Cup of Nations finals,” said the Zifa boss.
Sources in Harare yesterday said about eight to 10 players and officials initially left out of the exercise, some of them among those 30 who had initially been cleared by the ethics committee, are back in the picture.
“There is fresh evidence that has been found and more people have been implicated. Some had actually survived mention before while some of those that had been cleared are back in the fold.
“This has not been an easy exercise at all for the guys, Zifa did not find any single paper about the trips, they had to stitch together the information and names of those who were part of the teams or were beneficiaries. So when new evidence came, Justice Ebrahim and his committee have had to expand their scope of investigations.
“That has delayed the conclusion of the exercise,” said the source yesterday.
Two active Warriors players could be added to the suspects list today.
Lack of resources and co-operation from some of those named has put paid to the national association’s aspirations of a speedy conclusion to the saga.
Several senior Zifa employees including former chief executive officer Henrietta Rushwaya were fired for their alleged links with betting syndicates.
Last week, a Harare magistrate threw out Rushwaya’s challenge to the legality of the ethics committee to investigate Asiagate.
Zimbabwe’s low ranking was inherited from the Wellington Nyatanga’s board under which Rushwaya served.
The association’s reputation since then has been responsible for the negative public perception and lack of corporate support for the national team.
Zimbabweans are waiting with bated breath for Zifa to conclude this saga.
Several African countries are believed to have been infiltrated by the Zimbabweans who were working with Perumal and were as recent as October last year boasting that they had three powerful West African countries Togo, Senegal and Nigeria in their schemes.
Online Reporter