Sports / Soccer
Mwanjale, Sweswe, Chidzambwa want life bans to be lifted
25 Jun 2013 at 15:12hrs | Views
Former Warriors captain and Mamelodi Sundowns defender Method Mwanjale and BidVest Wits's Thomas Sweswe are set to hear late next month if their appeals against a life ban from football will be overturned.
The duo, along with former Warriors and Dembare coach Sunday Chidzambwa, were banned by the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) for their alleged involvement in the "Asiagate" scandal, where it is claimed matches involving the national team were fixed to benefit betting syndicates on tours of Asia between 2007 and 2009.
An emergency Zifa board meeting took place in Harare at the weekend and it has now set the date for the appeals hearings, which will sit for two days from July 29 to decide the fate of the trio.
The appeals were due to be heard in April, before being postponed to the end of May. They failed to take place then either, but the trio will be hoping to bring finality to the process at the end of next month.
Usually bans imposed by home associations are extended worldwide by Fifa, which would end both Sweswe's and Mwanjali's stay in the PSL.
But Fifa has not yet made that move as the cash-strapped Zifa has not followed proper procedures.
Fifa has said it will not move until it is satisfied that proper procedure has been followed, which must include prosecution and the right to appeal.
The duo, along with former Warriors and Dembare coach Sunday Chidzambwa, were banned by the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) for their alleged involvement in the "Asiagate" scandal, where it is claimed matches involving the national team were fixed to benefit betting syndicates on tours of Asia between 2007 and 2009.
An emergency Zifa board meeting took place in Harare at the weekend and it has now set the date for the appeals hearings, which will sit for two days from July 29 to decide the fate of the trio.
The appeals were due to be heard in April, before being postponed to the end of May. They failed to take place then either, but the trio will be hoping to bring finality to the process at the end of next month.
Usually bans imposed by home associations are extended worldwide by Fifa, which would end both Sweswe's and Mwanjali's stay in the PSL.
But Fifa has not yet made that move as the cash-strapped Zifa has not followed proper procedures.
Fifa has said it will not move until it is satisfied that proper procedure has been followed, which must include prosecution and the right to appeal.
Source - Sapa
