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Zimbabwean football has gone through turbulent times in the past few years and the game has been tainted by allegations of match-fixing with the Asiagate scandal threatening to tear the football fraternity apart. There is no denying that the game has suffered irreparable damage flowing from the aftermath of Asiagate and it is up to the stakeholders in the beautiful game to bring back the glory days.
The starting point could be the Sunday showdown between the Warriors and Angola and we feel unity of purpose should guide the football family in the country to put their differences aside and work for the good of the nation. We are aware the Asiagate fiasco has sharply divided the soccer family and because a lot is at stake with reputations, careers and sources of livelihood on the line — it might be difficult for some to put the interests of the nation ahead of their own. But the current crop of Warriors deserves a shot at saving Zimbabwe from sliding further into the footballing abyss by comprehensively beating Angola to enhance their chances of qualifying for Afcon 2013.
It would be grossly unfair for Zimbabwe to miss out on an African football jamboree taking place just across the Limpopo because a few people with a bone to chew with the current administrators at Zifa connived to derail the Warriors’ cause. Already, there are murmurs of discontent and whispers of conspiracy theories doing the rounds to the effect that a motley crew of plotters is planning to destabilise the Warriors camp. If true, that is sad news indeed.
Reports on Monday said the Warriors camp would be under 24 hour surveillance because Zifa had gathered that some people fingered in match-fixing were bragging that they already put in motion their skullduggery to ensure that the game was just a dead rubber with Angola assured of a smooth passage to the next round. A call between a Warriors coach and a leading player agent had been intercepted and the conversation was to the effect that they would get hold of players they control and instruct them to underperform so that pressure mounts on Zifa to step down and throw Asiagate investigations into disarray.
“Our players will be under heavy surveillance for the duration of their camp. We are now aware that an agent and a former employee want players to influence a loss for the Warriors against Angola. It is saddening that in this day and age we have some people who are anti-Zimbabwe to that extent because of selfishness. Our security personnel are already on the ground ensuring that the players will be protected from those who do not want to see the country succeed,” said Zifa Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Mashingaidze.
The latest revelations mean that the key players in the match-fixing syndicates are still very much active and could derail the Warriors’ quest for Afcon qualification. This therefore, calls for vigilance and unity of purpose in dealing with the latest threat. The Warriors need to be shielded from these undesirable and poisonous elements out to make a buck at the expense of their careers. Players need to be reminded that they are putting their lives and futures on the line by agreeing to do the bidding of match-fixers. Authorities need to be alert and flush out suspicious characters from the vicinity of the Warriors camp. Zimbabwean football needs to regain its lost glory by ridding itself of the scourge of match-fixing.
In this vein, the Zifa Independent Ethics Committee led by Justice Ahmed Ebrahim needs to conclude its investigations speedily and make its findings public so that this matter is put to rest and the culprits sanctioned accordingly. Their day of reckoning should come quickly and justice should be delivered swiftly so that Zimbabwean football can restart afresh on a clean slate untainted by the cancer of match-fixing. The future of football is at stake.
Online Reporter