Sports / Soccer
Dembare goalie set to join AmaTuks
19 Jul 2012 at 10:58hrs | Views
Dynamos goalkeeper Washington Arubi last night finally left the country for South Africa where he is expected to seal a deal with newly-promoted Absa Premiership side, University of Pretoria.
The move appeared to be in limbo last week due to the Asiagate match-fixing scam which had raised question marks on the Soccer Star of The Year credibility to ply his trade at the South African side.
A letter sent to Dynamos last week appeared to suggest the deal had hit the skids, raising fears that unresolved match fixing scandal was going to derail the career of one of the Zimbabwe's brightest stars.
Pretoria University had made reference to Asiagate and expressed their reluctance to take Arubi on board before the probe had come to its conclusion.
But, the newly-promoted South African Premiership club this week sent a return ticket which has Arubi returning to Harare in early December - a sign that AmaTuks might have decided to sign the Mutare-born stopper after all.
December is when the South African league's takes its mid-season break.
Last week, the deal was on the verge of collapsing after University of Pretoria suddenly put on hold their offer to sign Arubi pending clearance in Zimbabwe's widely publicised match-fixing scandal.
"I am sure Dynamos are aware of the much publicised Asiagate scandal.
"This issue is only hearsay to us and we are only privy to the information contained in the media," University of Pretoria team manager Graham Oosthuis wrote to Dynamos last week.
"Upon further assessment of the situation and the possible impact of it on the club, we are compelled to complete our due diligence and satisfy ourselves that there is no risk.
Please could Dynamos FC provide us with some sort of official proof/verification that the player has not been implicated or that he has been cleared and that there is no chance of him receiving a ban from this matter."
While Arubi has already agreed personal terms with AmaTuks, Zimbabwean champions Dynamos still have to agree on the transfer fee for the player, believed to be around $40 000.
An inside source close to the negotiations between the two clubs said Dynamos are under pressure to accept the offer on the table or face the possibility of watching Arubi walk away as a free agent at the end of the season.
The move appeared to be in limbo last week due to the Asiagate match-fixing scam which had raised question marks on the Soccer Star of The Year credibility to ply his trade at the South African side.
A letter sent to Dynamos last week appeared to suggest the deal had hit the skids, raising fears that unresolved match fixing scandal was going to derail the career of one of the Zimbabwe's brightest stars.
Pretoria University had made reference to Asiagate and expressed their reluctance to take Arubi on board before the probe had come to its conclusion.
But, the newly-promoted South African Premiership club this week sent a return ticket which has Arubi returning to Harare in early December - a sign that AmaTuks might have decided to sign the Mutare-born stopper after all.
December is when the South African league's takes its mid-season break.
Last week, the deal was on the verge of collapsing after University of Pretoria suddenly put on hold their offer to sign Arubi pending clearance in Zimbabwe's widely publicised match-fixing scandal.
"I am sure Dynamos are aware of the much publicised Asiagate scandal.
"This issue is only hearsay to us and we are only privy to the information contained in the media," University of Pretoria team manager Graham Oosthuis wrote to Dynamos last week.
"Upon further assessment of the situation and the possible impact of it on the club, we are compelled to complete our due diligence and satisfy ourselves that there is no risk.
Please could Dynamos FC provide us with some sort of official proof/verification that the player has not been implicated or that he has been cleared and that there is no chance of him receiving a ban from this matter."
While Arubi has already agreed personal terms with AmaTuks, Zimbabwean champions Dynamos still have to agree on the transfer fee for the player, believed to be around $40 000.
An inside source close to the negotiations between the two clubs said Dynamos are under pressure to accept the offer on the table or face the possibility of watching Arubi walk away as a free agent at the end of the season.
Source - Daily News
