Sports / Soccer
FIFA to conclude Zimbabwe match fixing investigations
22 Jun 2011 at 10:41hrs | Views
The Zimbabwe Football Association says FIFA anti-corruption officials will visit the country next week to conclude a drawn-out match-fixing investigation that is likely to result in sanctions for a string of international players.
ZIFA vice president Ndumiso Gumede says the anti-corruption unit, led by FIFA's head of security Chris Eaton, will arrive June 30 to meet with Zimbabwean investigators "in an effort to bring this issue to finality."
Zimbabwe could lose a number of national team players to lifetime bans after they admitted last year to taking money to lose games on tours to Asia, some as far back as 2007.
ZIFA delayed taking action against players who have confessed to receiving money to lose games on a 2009 trip of South East Asia because its match-fixing probe had been widened to include other tours.
A Zimbabwe Football Association inquiry found several players and officials guilty of fixing games on a tour in which Zimbabwe lost 3-0 to Thailand and 6-0 to Syria.
Method Mwanjali, the captain on the tour, said players were paid for losing "correctly" to Syria in Malaysia after failing to lose by the instructed 1-0 scoreline to host Thailand.
In October last year, Zifa fired former Chief Executive Henrietta Rushwaya after she was found guilty of match fixing during an Asia tour held in Malaysia in 2010.
The match-fixing allegations involved Asian betting syndicates during the tournament.
Zimbabwe lost 6-0 to Syria and 3-0 to Thailand in that tournament.
Wilson Raj Perumal of Singapore, who is now on trial for match-fixing in Finland, is also suspected of manipulating the Zimbabwe matches.
ZIFA vice president Ndumiso Gumede says the anti-corruption unit, led by FIFA's head of security Chris Eaton, will arrive June 30 to meet with Zimbabwean investigators "in an effort to bring this issue to finality."
Zimbabwe could lose a number of national team players to lifetime bans after they admitted last year to taking money to lose games on tours to Asia, some as far back as 2007.
ZIFA delayed taking action against players who have confessed to receiving money to lose games on a 2009 trip of South East Asia because its match-fixing probe had been widened to include other tours.
A Zimbabwe Football Association inquiry found several players and officials guilty of fixing games on a tour in which Zimbabwe lost 3-0 to Thailand and 6-0 to Syria.
Method Mwanjali, the captain on the tour, said players were paid for losing "correctly" to Syria in Malaysia after failing to lose by the instructed 1-0 scoreline to host Thailand.
In October last year, Zifa fired former Chief Executive Henrietta Rushwaya after she was found guilty of match fixing during an Asia tour held in Malaysia in 2010.
The match-fixing allegations involved Asian betting syndicates during the tournament.
Zimbabwe lost 6-0 to Syria and 3-0 to Thailand in that tournament.
Wilson Raj Perumal of Singapore, who is now on trial for match-fixing in Finland, is also suspected of manipulating the Zimbabwe matches.
Source - Byo24News
