THE country’s long-running football soap opera, Asiagate, is set to end this morning when the Zifa Ethics Committee announces its final decision after seven players were cleared of match-fixing allegations last week. BY SPORTS REPORTER
A total of 90 players and officials had been suspended over the Asia trips where match-fixing gangs are alleged to have paid national team players to lose matches.
Already 40 players have been cleared with the last batch given the all clear ahead of last Sunday’s match against Angola in the 2013 African Cup of Nations second leg qualifier.
It is the country’s hope that once Asiagate has been cleared, the current Zifa board led by Cuthbert Dube, will shift focus on football development as the scandal has consumed three quarters of their term of office.
On Sunday, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture minister David Coltart said: “When we clean up Zimbabwe football and rid it of political influence, we will start getting better results on the field — the two are linked.”
“Now we need to analyse the Asiagate report out this week and continue the process of cleaning up and depoliticising Zimbabwe football,” he said in a tweet.
Fifa president Sepp Blatter, in his visit last year in July, said all those found guilty would be banned for life while criminal proceedings will likely be preferred against some of the alleged masterminds.
