Petros Kausiyo
30 June 2011
ZIFA’S efforts to finalise investigations into allegations of match-fixing during the Warriors’ trips to Asia continued to receive international backing with Caf endorsing the association’s final Asiagate report.
A four-member Zifa probe team led by the association’s vice-president Ndumiso Gumede, which includes board members Elliot Kasu, Benedict Moyo and Fungai Chihuri, has completed their investigations with their final report having been submitted to Fifa, Caf and the Sport and Recreation Commission. Fifa have already indicated that they will be sending their head of security Chris Eaton to Harare to discuss the probe.
Eaton, who will travel in the company of Fifa investigations officer Terry Steans, is expected in the country early next week.
With revelations that Fifa president Sepp Blatter and secretary-general Jerome Valcke will also be in Harare on Monday, Eaton and Steans could also form part of that high-powered delegation to Zimbabwe.
While Fifa had also earlier offered their support on the Asiagate probe at the highest level, Caf had appeared to remain silent on the matter.
However, Caf, through a letter sent by their secretary-general Hicham El Amrani yesterday, lauded Zifa for undertaking to clean up the national game with the continental body also offering its full support of the work that has been undertaken by the Gumede committee.
It also emerged last night that the Sports Commission had taken note of the Asiagate II report and recommended to Zifa to “exercise some leniency with the players caught up in the scam”.
The Commission, is however understood to have recommended that Zifa should come down hard on the coaches and administrators who would have been fingered as the main actors in the scam.
Caf also asked Zifa to furnish them with details of the kind of sanctions they were proposing to impose on those listed by the report as having knowingly participated in match-fixing and bribery.
The continental body, in commending Zifa, also thanked the association for showing professionalism in their administration of the game.
“We are in receipt of your report sent to Caf dated May 24th 2011 and we thank you for such a comprehensive and detailed document. Caf has noted that you completed your investigations and we thank you for your due diligence and willingness to take Zimbabwean football to new heights of excellence and professionalism.
“Caf would like to confirm our full support to your federation to carry its duties.
“In the meantime kindly advise of the current status of the potential sanctions against the persons listed in your report. Please accept dear president, my most sincere regards,” wrote Amrani.
As Amrani wrote to Dube, it also emerged that the Sports Commission had also acknowledged receipt of the Gumede report and made their recommendations on how Zifa could deal with the punishments related to the Asiagate scam.
Dube last night said he was still to receive communication from the Sports Commission but said his board would meet to discuss the final Asiagate report once they get the supreme sports body’s response.
“I am still to receive a response from the SRC and if they have responded then maybe the communication is still at the Zifa offices,” Dube said.
Sources, however, said the Commission had already taken their position on the report and suggested to Zifa not to impose blanket bans on the players who featured in the games.
Contrary to earlier speculation that Fifa would ban all the players involved, the world body told Zifa that they would leave the association to decide on the kind of sanctions that would be imposed on those found guilty by Gumede’s report.
Gumede has also insisted that Zifa needed to bring the matter to finality in order to turn their attention to the future.
But with Caf also praising Zifa, Dube said they were ready to meet with Eaton and his Fifa probe team when they visit Zimbabwe.
“We need to ensure that there is Fair Play in our game in view of the allegations of match-fixing. There will be no scared cows.
“From the way we were told in Zurich we are probably the first country that has done such a comprehensive report and they are very pleased with that. First it was Fifa endorsing our report and now Caf have done a similar thing. The letter from Caf substantiates what I have said before that the international football community is happy with our drive to clean up our football.
“We are now waiting for comments from the SRC before we can make public our recommendations on the sanctions that can be taken. But as Zifa we are ready to give all our recommendations and assist with any further information that either Fifa or Caf may also want,” Dube said.
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Zimbabwe: CAF Commends Zifa Match-Fixing Probe