Sundowns' rookies wanted in Zimbabwe probe
Sundowns' rookies wanted in match fixing probe
Posted: 2010-07-27 13:44
The Zimbabwean Football Association has threatened to come down hard on players who are ignoring summons to testify in the association's ongoing probe into match-fixing allegations.
Two of the players that they want to question are Mamelodi Sundowns recently signed pair of Method Mwanjali and Nyasha Mushekwi.
The Zim mother body has in the last few weeks been carrying out a probe into the tour amid allegations that the Warriors were caught up in a web of Asian betting syndicates in which they were allegedly paid large sums of money to throw some matches.
Zifa vice-president Ndumiso Gumede, who is leading the association's probe, said yesterday his committee had covered a lot of ground in their investigations but were being pegged back by some players who were part of the Warriors side on that trip.
Asked why some of the players had not heeded the call to assist the inquiry, Gumede reckoned that there had been a misconception that his committee would persecute them.
"We are not here to persecute anyone because we will still have to present our findings to the board and we will also make a report to the Sports Commission.
"But the players have not been forthcoming and we have re-issued the invitations for them to come on Tuesday (today) and Wednesday (tomorrow) so that we conclude this exercise.
"This is the third time that we are calling them and we are saying anyone who doesn't come when they have been invited to come and testify may have to face SRC sanctions.
"We will be left with no choice but to invoke certain sections of the SRC Act because this is a matter of national interest.
"The SRC also want to know what really happened with regards these allegations of dishonesty while on national duty and the players' evidence is very critical because they were the main actors in this case."
Gumede said that his probe team was keen to hear the testimony of such players like Mamelodi Sundowns new boy Method Mwanjali, who was the captain of the home-based Warriors.
"One of those critical people we have invited who still has to come is Method Mwanjali, who was the captain of the team and is now outside the country. But one of the board members has since offered to assist to fly him (Mwanjali) from South Africa so that he comes and gives his testimony and flies back.
"We have got almost all the details of who travelled and who was staying in which rooms during that tour but I must emphasise that contrary to some rumours doing the rounds, it does not mean that if one testifies he will not play for the national team again or will be punished by Zifa for doing so."
Warriors' assistant coach Joey Antipas, who led the technical department on the trip, is also among those who have already testified to the probe team.
A number of players including Sundowns' Mushekwi, Asani Nhongo and Evans Chikwaikwai, who are now plying their trade in Mozambique; Phillip Marufu, who is playing for FC Lupopo in the Democratic Republic of Congo are understood to have been part of the tour.
: 2010-07-27 15:26
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