adminLovemore Dube, Sports Editor
ALLEGATIONS of match-fixing have been levelled against a leading Zifa Southern Region Division One side by Tsholotsho Pirates.
The only club from a rural set up in the league has written a letter of complaint to Zifa, a copy of which is with the Chronicle. Melody Ndlovu the club’s spokesperson confirmed that they were taking the issue up with football authorities in the hope of cleansing the sport of an evil believed to have affected the country following revelations that administrators, coaches and players received money in Asia, Europe and East Africa to throw away matches.
An assistant coach with a city Division One side approached Tsholotsho Pirates’ two goalkeepers in the last two weeks.
According to coach Lizwe Sweswe, an assistant trainer with the top club, approached his goalkeeper two weeks ago during the Highlanders-Black Rhinos match.
He wanted to establish who would be in goal when the two clubs clash.
The same assistant coach was at it again last week contacting a second goalkeeper at Tsholotsho Pirates. He enquired about the lad’s injury and who would probably be in goal.
Sweswe said that kind of behaviour could not be tolerated in football. He said the game was about Fair Play.
“The opposition technical bench has no right to phone our players to find out who would be playing. That amounts to fixing games, we want Fair Play and that starts with us coaches.
“Matches should be won on the soccer pitch and no where else. We are really disturbed with what happened. What is encouraging is that our players decided to come clean for the sake of the game and their own integrity by advising us of our opponents’ manoeuvres. I am proud of my boys because one actually forwarded to us all the communication made between him and the assistant coach,” said Sweswe
In the letter Ndlovu cites that goalkeepers Nickel Marichi and Farai Sibanda, who are among the league’s best goalkeepers were asked to supply inside information on the eve of their clash as to who would be in between the goalposts.
Contacted for comment Southern Region chairman Morgan Dube said they were yet to receive official communication.
“I have heard the rumour, we are yet to get official communication,” said Dube.
He said his association would not tolerate a situation where matches were thrown. He said for the integrity of the game they wanted Fair Play from all the teams in the league. “We want fair competition and any corruption will be dealt with by management,” said the Victoria Falls based official yesterday.
Efforts to get a comment from the suspected matchfixer were fruitless.
Online Reporter