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Sports Editor
FORMER Warriors coach Ian Gorowa yesterday said he was shocked to learn through the media that he had been given a 10-year ban by Zifa, while he was still waiting for the association to communicate with him over the allegations. Gorowa was handed a 10-year ban by Zifa alongside former board member Edzai Kasinauyo, while former chief executive officer Henrrietta Rushwaya and former programmes officer Jonathan Musavengana were given life bans earlier this month. Former Warriors assistant coach Nation Dube was banished for five years.
Zifa claimed that from January to the end of February, Kasinauyo, Rushwaya, Gorowa and Dube were involved in match-fixing, targeting the South African Premier Soccer League. Zifa also alleged that the four also worked with eventual whistle-blower Leeroy Waguta and well-known Asian match-fixer Chan Sankaran to fix the results of the two African Cup of Nations matches between Zimbabwe and Swaziland.
Gorowa said even murderers were afforded an opportunity to be heard in a court of law before any verdict could be reached and he can’t understand why Zifa rushed to pronounce judgement solely on a sworn affidavit from Waguta without testing its contents.
“What was the rush if their case was as strong as they claim? Why didn’t they call me for a hearing if they were confident of securing a conviction? It just shows that they had no case against me, but I can’t understand why they chose to soil my name on the strength of a mere affidavit just like that,” said an angry Gorowa from South Africa.
“I can only speculate that they chose to drag my name into the mud to avoid paying the $80,000 they owe me. They sent their case against me to Safa and the South African PSL, who both threw it out for its bizarreness.” Gorowa said he can’t accept being accused of something he didn’t do and it hurts him that no investigations were ever carried out.
He said his lawyers were looking into the matter and would soon be going to world football governing body Fifa to recover his money and get the ban nullified. Gorowa also indicated that Zifa had no jurisdiction to try him, as he is affiliated to Safa and the South African PSL.
Online Reporter