PSL summon City over age cheating
A FEW weeks after two members of their technical team members were handed five-year bans by the Premier Soccer League over match fixing, Bulawayo City have been summoned to appear before a Premier Soccer League disciplinary hearing , this time over age cheating allegations.
Bulawayo City vice-chairman Zenzo Moyo and board member responsible for human resources Prince Butshe represented the club at the hearing held in Harare on Thursday and Friday where Amakhosi are being charged for contravening order 31.2.8 of the PSL rules and regulations, that is knowingly furnishing incorrect information, of whatsoever nature to the PSL. The players concerned, Lewis Ncube, Dean Pelius Sibanda and Bothwell Nyathi also appeared before the disciplinary committee where they were asked to make submissions in the absence of the club officials.
Moyo said the club is denying the charge while the players are all said to have pleaded guilty.
“We were summoned by PSL to a disciplinary hearing, we appeared on Thursday and Friday. The club pleaded not guilty but the players pleaded guilty and they remained behind to give statements,’’ said Moyo.
The former Highlanders and Warriors striker also revealed that the three players appeared before the club’s disciplinary committee where they claimed that a man named Dube is the one who assisted them to alter their ages when he took them to Tsholotsho to apply for new birth certificates.
“The players appeared before our own disciplinary hearing in the past two weeks. They gave statements, they mentioned that they were taken to Tsholotsho by a certain Dube who used to watch them while they were playing in Division One who wanted to take them to South Africa.
“They were fined by the police because the club reported them. They have since surrendered the new birth certificates which means they have reverted back to their ages. Our internal hearings are being concluded on Wednesday,’’ said Moyo.
PSL last month suspended the three players after noticing some irregularities in their registration. In a letter sent by PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele to Bulawayo City acting chief executive officer McKenzie Moyo, the league suspected that the players altered their ages in order to be registered as Under-20 players.
The players have been suspended by both the PSL and their club with their registration licences having been surrendered to the league.
On 24 October, the PSL handed down a five-year ban to Bulawayo City assistant coach Farai Mujokoro and kit manager Gift Mvala over match fixing after they attempted to bribe Border Strikers goalkeeper Talent Sande to concede more goals when the two teams met at Dulivhadzimu Stadium on 3 August.
When the allegations came out, Amakhosi suspended from duty, head coach Philani Ncube, goalkeepers coach Reginald Buhali, Mujokoro and Mvala. With Mujokoro and Mvala now banned, it is said that there are some within the Bulawayo City leadership who are pushing for Ncube to be reinstated as head coach, though there are some dissenting voices.