Sports / Soccer
Bulawayo City submits match-fixing report
11 Aug 2016 at 07:45hrs | Views
BULAWAYO City FC and Border Strikers yesterday submitted to the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League reports on match-fixing allegations levelled against the former's technical team.
City suspended four members of their technical team, including head coach Philani Ncube over match-fixing allegations last week following leaked WhatsApp messages that the local authority bankrolled club's coaches wanted to "buy" results for their game against Strikers which they won 1-0 last week.
Ncube, his assistant Farai Mujokoro, goalkeepers' coach Reginald Buhali and kit manager Gift Mvala have been frozen out of the club pending investigations and an interim technical team made up of Try Ncube and Barry Daka is in charge of the squad.
The suspended City quartet had their reports submitted to the PSL, with the club hopeful that coach Philani and the goalkeepers' trainer Buhali who are not facing criminal charges will be allowed back into the team.
"We're assisting the league with investigations and we submitted the reports of the four members of the technical team to the PSL today (yesterday). Also attached to the reports are letters from the police stating that no criminal charges have been laid for coach Philani Ncube and goalkeepers' coach Reginald Buhali. We're also conducting our own investigations and at the moment since these two (Philani and Buhali) have been cleared by the police, we're consulting if it's possible for them to resume duty while the other two have their case scheduled for August 19 at the Beitbridge courts," said Bulawayo City chairman, Jerry Sibanda.
Mujokoro is being accused of attempting to bribe Strikers' goalkeeper 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 City kit manager Mvala.
However, Mvala walked into a trap before kick-off when he allegedly handed the money to 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, forcing Mujokoro to disappear from the stadium at halftime.
PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele said investigations are underway and City's four coaches are likely to appear before a disciplinary hearing.
"We're conducting our own investigations and as it is the league is possession of a complaint from Border Strikers in the form of a report and an affidavit from their player (Sande). Those are damning allegations which were levelled and once we're done with our investigations we will communicate with all parties involved," said Ndebele.
City suspended four members of their technical team, including head coach Philani Ncube over match-fixing allegations last week following leaked WhatsApp messages that the local authority bankrolled club's coaches wanted to "buy" results for their game against Strikers which they won 1-0 last week.
Ncube, his assistant Farai Mujokoro, goalkeepers' coach Reginald Buhali and kit manager Gift Mvala have been frozen out of the club pending investigations and an interim technical team made up of Try Ncube and Barry Daka is in charge of the squad.
The suspended City quartet had their reports submitted to the PSL, with the club hopeful that coach Philani and the goalkeepers' trainer Buhali who are not facing criminal charges will be allowed back into the team.
"We're assisting the league with investigations and we submitted the reports of the four members of the technical team to the PSL today (yesterday). Also attached to the reports are letters from the police stating that no criminal charges have been laid for coach Philani Ncube and goalkeepers' coach Reginald Buhali. We're also conducting our own investigations and at the moment since these two (Philani and Buhali) have been cleared by the police, we're consulting if it's possible for them to resume duty while the other two have their case scheduled for August 19 at the Beitbridge courts," said Bulawayo City chairman, Jerry Sibanda.
Mujokoro is being accused of attempting to bribe Strikers' goalkeeper Talent Sande with $300 to let them win the game by five goals.
However, Mvala walked into a trap before kick-off when he allegedly handed the money to 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, forcing Mujokoro to disappear from the stadium at halftime.
PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele said investigations are underway and City's four coaches are likely to appear before a disciplinary hearing.
"We're conducting our own investigations and as it is the league is possession of a complaint from Border Strikers in the form of a report and an affidavit from their player (Sande). Those are damning allegations which were levelled and once we're done with our investigations we will communicate with all parties involved," said Ndebele.
Source - chronicle
