Mwanjali fights back

to Asia.
The ban is expected to have a world-wide effect, once enforced by Fifa and the Confederation of African Football.
Nine others players have been exon­erated by the Independent Ethics Com­mittee chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ahmed Ebrahim.
There could also be a further pardon for Mwanjali’s Sundowns teammate Nyasha Mushekwi, who volunteered information in the investigation.
Big goalkeeper Energy Muram­badoro, Lincoln Zvasiya, Kingston Nkhatha (both Kaizer Chiefs) and Cuthbert Malajila (Maritzburg United) have already been cleared among a long list of those who play in South Africa.
In a statement on their website, how­ever, Sundowns report Mwanjali as say­ing he was “never involved in any match-fixing in his entire life”, and insist they will assist him to clear his name.
“Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club have noted reports that the Zim­babwe Football Association (Zifa) has imposed a life ban on central defender Method Mwanjali, following the con­clusion of their investigation into match-fixing allegations,” the state­ment reads.
“Sundowns have not received any official communication in this regard from the Premier Soccer League (PSL), and will await such communication.
However, the club has had discus­sions with the player and Mwanjali maintains that he is innocent and will exercise all the rights he is entitled in terms of the rules.
“The player says he is being used as a scapegoat in the affairs of Zifa and strongly denied that he was ever involved in any match-fixing in his entire life.
“Mamelodi Sundowns will provide the player with all the necessary sup­port in his bid to clear his name.”
Despite the declaration by Zifa that their life bans on the Asiagate culprits would take immediate effect, the South African Football Association have indi­cated that they are not in hurry to implement the sanctions.
According to reports from South Africa yesterday, Safa indicated that they would wait to hear Fifa’s verdict on the matter.
Zifa last Friday handed life bans to 15 individuals they deemed to have been the Asiagate bigwigs.
That list included Warriors history-making coach Sunday Chidzambwa, Wits University centre back Thomas Sweswe and Mwanjali.
Zifa immediately notified Fifa and Caf about the bans and also wrote to fel­low associations across the globe advis­ing them of the sanctions they had imposed on the players, coaches and officials.
While Dynamos defender Guthrie Zhokinyi was the first to feel the impact of the Zifa sanctions when being barred from taking part in the Mbada Dia­monds Cup quarter-final against Gun­ners, it was a different tale for his South African based colleagues.
Sweswe featured for Wits in their league game against Kaizer Chiefs while the statement by Sundowns sug­gests Mwanjali will continue to be con­sidered for selection in their league assign­ments. Chidzambwa was at the bench at   Black Leop­ards when they played champions Orlando Pirates over the weekend and appeared unfazed about the news of the ban. — Kick-off/Sports Reporter.