SEVERAL PSL PLAYERS NAMED IN ZIMBABWE SCANDAL
THE facts around the Zimbabwean match-fixing scandal that has spilled over into the Premier Soccer League grow ever more murky, with a number of fresh allegations made against players in the local league.
Former Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya, who was banned for her role in the Asiagate match-fixing scandal in 2012, has admitted to being at the centre of recent dealings with an Asian cartel, but claims she was acting on a rogue mission to ensnare the fixers in a trap before reporting the matter to authorities.
The man who is said to have blown the whistle on the scheme has told Zimbabwe ’ s Herald newspaper that this is not the case as SA Football Association (Safa) head of security Mlungisi Ncame collected evidence in Harare last Friday that is likely to be handed over to the Hawks.
The unnamed whistleblower told the Herald newspaper that Polokwane City ’ s Zimbabwean goalkeeper George Chigova, his teammate Lebogang Motumi as well as the Bloemfontein Celtic duo of keeper Patrick Tignyemb and defensive midfielder Lantshene Phalane, had all been targeted by the cartel.
University of Pretoria goalkeeper Washington Arubi, also from Zimbabwe, was also allegedly paid to under-perform but according to Rushwaya, he never had any intention to do so and helped foil the cartel.
The whistle-blower also claims former Chippa United defender Mbuyiselo Sambu, now assistant coach, was paid to arrange for his side to perform poorly in a game against Free State Stars on February 20 – though Chippa ended up winning 2-0.
Phalane told Sowetan he has no idea why his name has been mentioned – or that of Tignyemb – and dismissed the allegations as rumours and lies.
“The allegations are absolutely not true,” he said. “I don ’ t know where this comes from. Do we get these rumours because the team is not getting good results? It ’ s all lies.
“When I signed a contract with Celtic I gave myself to the team ’ s cause. If you perform badly inten- tionally, you are not only hurting your own reputation but also killing all your teammates. I don ’ t believe anybody in this team has been doing that.”
Rushwaya also makes no mention of Celtic and says the matches she arranged to be fixed as part of her gung-ho sting operation – on the understanding that the players would not under-perform as they were requested to do – were:
University of Pretoria ’ s 2-2 draw with Free State Stars on February 2.
University of Pretoria ’ s 2-1 loss to BidVest Wits on February 19.
Kaizer Chiefs ’ 1-1 draw with Polokwane City on February 23.