ANXIETY has gripped Premiership clubs ahead of the weekend Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matches with some of them set to lose key players, as Zifa will announce more bans on players found guilty of Asiagate match-fixing between 2007 and 2009, tomorrow.
Report by Sports Correspondent
Last week, Zifa named 15 players and officials who were handed life bans for their alleged involvement in the scam.
Players slapped with life bans include former Warriors captain Method Mwanjali, Thomas Sweswe, Guthrie Zhokinyi, Edmore Sibanda and Danisa Phiri.
Zifa, who have been studying the Asiagate report compiled by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ahmed Ebrahim, are today expected to announce sanctions for several other players and officials.
But with clubs banking on some of their players for the weekend games, the expected bans have caused anxiety.
Harare giants CAPS United, who face Gunners Sunday are one of the teams set to be affected with four of the club’s players — Nqobile Mpala, Charles Chiutsa, Tendai Samanja and Asani Nhongo — set to be sanctioned. Coach Taurai Mangwiro is also likely to receive a ban.
Champions Dynamos, bidding to defend the league title they won last year, have already lost skipper Zhokinyi and other players like defenders Ocean Mushure, George Magariro and Augustine Mbara are set to be sanctioned. Title challengers Highlanders are also likely to lose Beaven Chikaka and Milton Ncube. The future of Monomotapa Football Club also hangs in the balance with club owner, Solomon Mugavazi, set to be banned. They have goalkeeper Artwell Mukandi — a key member of the team who is also set to be banned among other players. FC Platinum are waiting anxiously with players like Benjamin Marere, Daniel Vheremu, Quadr Amin and Tsungi Mudzamiri being some of their players on the line of fire for their alleged roles in the Asiagate match-fixing scandal. Motor Action could lose head coach Joey Antipas.
