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Sports Reporter
THE Premier Soccer League is investigating allegations of match fixing that took place before the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League tie between Border Strikers and Bulawayo City in Beitbridge on Wednesday. In a statement, PSL chairman Peter Dube said the league was taking the allegations seriously and they had already received a report from Border Strikers while they were still to hear from the Bulawayo City FC technical staff that includes Philani Ncube, Farai Mujokoro, Reginald Buhali and Gift Mvala.
Bulawayo City assistant coach Mujokoro is alleged to have bribed Border Strikers goalminder Talent Sande with $300 to let them win the game by five goals. According to WhatsApp messages allegedly between Mujokoro and Sande, the money was supposed to be collected by Sande’s sister from Bulawayo City kit manager Gift Mvala.
However, Mvala walked into a trap before kick-off when he allegedly handed the money to Border Strikers treasurer Gift Jera, who was in the company of a woman posing as Sande’s sister.
The matter was reported to the police before kick-off resulting in Mujokoro disappearing from the stadium at half-time. “We would like to applaud Border Strikers FC and their player Talent Sande for showing courage and sportsmanship by bringing to light allegations of match manipulation. We call upon all stakeholders to recognise, resist and report match manipulation,’’ said Dube.
“Winning is without value if achieved unfairly or dishonestly. Cheating is easy but brings no pleasure. Playing fair earns respect while cheating only brings shame.”
Ncube, Mujokoro, Mvala and Mbala have since been suspended by their club pending investigations into the matter.
Zimbabwe has been plagued by allegations of match-fixing with the Asiagate saga being the first that erupted in 2009 as it later emerged the country’s national team had been travelling to various tournaments to Asia at the behest of betting tycoons who run match-fixing syndicates.
Investigations instituted by the Cuthbert Dube-led Zifa administration saw several players and officials being suspended from the game while others were given life bans among them former Zifa chief executive officer, Henrietta Rushwaya.
In 2011 a number of administrators and referees were suspended over what was later termed Centralgate, as they colluded to fix matches in the Central Region to ensure Hardboy FC were promoted to the Premiership.
Earlier this year, another match-fixing scandal erupted with Rushwaya being accused of being the mastermind behind the fixing of league matches in South Africa and attempts to fix matches involving the senior national team men’s side.
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derick.khumalo