Zifa suspend top PSL stars
The Zimbabwe Football Association has suspended 67 of its national team players implicated in the ‘Asiagate’ saga, including a number of South African PSL stars.
The likes of Kaizer Chiefs’ Thomas Sweswe and Jimmy Jambo, Mamelodi Sundowns’ Method Mwanjale and Nyasha Mushekwi, and Ajax Cape Town’s Khama Billiat are all now ineligible for national team coach Norman Mapeza.
It is a massive blow for him with the away leg of a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Burundi coming up on February 29.
Each of the 67 players must have their case heard by an independent ethics committee, when they will give testimony and either have their suspension upheld or dismissed. It is a process that could take months.
It is alleged that players and match officials received money to throw games while playing for Zimbabwe’s national team and club sides on various tours to Asia.
The teams purposely let in goals in return for cash from Asian betting syndicates who then made a fortune by betting on predicting the right result.
The full extent of the duplicity has been revealed over the last months after a lengthy inquiry.
The South African-based player face a possible life ban, although Zimbabwe sources tell SuperSport.com it is likely they will get a lesser sentence because many of the players confessed and signed written statements.