JOHANNESBURG — Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane has been interviewed by the two-man Fifa security panel in Johannesburg as part of their global match-fixing investigation.
It had been assumed until now that Bafana Bafana players and members of the management team were not involved when Bafana participated in four “fixed” friendlies prior to the 2010 World Cup, but Mosimane’s appearance suggests otherwise.
The Sunday Times also understands that another World Cup friendly — not involving Bafana — has become suspicious. The match, between Japan and Mozambique, was played in George prior to the tournament proper.
Zimbabwe were Japan’s original opponents, but the associations couldn’t get the paperwork sorted and Mozambique stepped into the breach. The Mozambique match was originally to be refereed by Zimbabwean officials, but Safa’s referees’ committee got wind of this. The referees and their assistants didn’t make the flight to George after landing in Johannesburg from Harare. Charl Theron, a Cape Town official, refereed the match; his assistants all came from Cape Town.
Although it didn’t materialise, the Zimbabwe friendly — as well as the arrangement of referees for the Japan-Mozambique match —was dealt with by Henrietta Rushwaya and Jonathan Musavengana, then of the Zimbabwe Football Association.
Rushwaya, the former CEO, and Musavengana, the programmes officer, have since been dismissed for their role in what has been dubbed Zimbabwe’s “Asiagate” scandal.
A Safa official explained that Musavengana spilled the beans and explained to Fifa “what Henrietta was doing in South Africa prior to the World Cup”. The Japan friendly was later identified as suspicious, although it is understood not to have been a fixed match. Safa were keeping mum on who was interviewed by Chris Eaton and his assistant, with CEO Robin Petersen telling the Sunday Times that the association had decided not to release any of the names of those interviewed.We understand, however, that as well as Mosimane, former team manager Sipho Nkumane was interviewed, as were Dennis Mumble and Adeel Carelse.
Meanwhile, Bahrain’s 10-0 friendly win over Indonesia this past week is being investigated by Fifa. — Timeslive.co.za
