Attempt to bribe Chilli Boys player

THE already-tarnished image of soccer in South Africa has been dealt another telling blow, with Chippa United officials confirming that one of their players has been offered a bribe to fix their PSL fixture against Maritzburg United tomorrow.

The club’s chief operations officer, Lukhanyo Mzinzi, confirmed last night that a regular and senior Chippa United player had been approached to help throw the game against bottom-of-the-log Maritzburg at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium tomorrow at 3.30pm.

The Chippa player apparently contacted club officials after receiving the call and Mzinzi said the police had been informed.

Mzinzi declined to give the name or position of the player or to say how much money had been offered to the player.

He said the player had been approached by a soccer agent and not by the KwaZulu-Natal team itself.

When asked whether the player involved would play tomorrow, Mzinzi said: “He’s a regular player. It will depend on the coach.”

He said the call could have been placed to disrupt the team.

The club respected the player and were pleased with his honesty, he said.

“He is one of the senior players that we trust very much.

“We are thankful for his honesty because someone else might have been tempted to take the money,” he said.

“The money that they offered is very handsome.”

The Premier Soccer League confirmed on Thursday that eight individuals had been charged on match-fixing allegations and that investigations were continuing.