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Limpopogate ‘match-fixers’ trial date set

Sport
THE trial date for former Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) officials accused of fixing Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers between Swaziland and Zimbabwe early this year was yesterday set for next month.

THE trial date for former Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) officials accused of fixing Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers between Swaziland and Zimbabwe early this year was yesterday set for next month.

BY MARY TARUVINGA

The three are former Zifa chief executive officer, Henrietta Rushwaya, ex-Zifa executive committee member, Edzai Kasinauyo, and former Warriors assistant coach, Nation Dube.

Magistrate Tendai Mahwe set the trial for September 7 after dismissing the trio’s application against further remand last month.

They are accused of having connived with former Warriors coach, Ian Gorowa, to bribe players into losing the match. According to the State, the three also connived with the players’ close friend, Leeroy Kundishora Waguta, who turned out to be a whistleblower, as well as Chan Sankaran, a well-known Asian match-fixer, who is alleged to be the financier of the scandal.

The court heard that in February this year, the accused, in one of their routine meetings, agreed to fix Afcon qualifiers between Swaziland and Zimbabwe, which were scheduled for March 25 and 28 in Mbabane and Harare, respectively.

They then targeted and agreed to offer bribes to Zimbabwe national football team players, as an inducement to lose the games.

The court heard they agreed to implement their plan after the announcement of the list of players to play against Swaziland.

As a result, the court heard, Kasinauyo was tasked to pressure Warriors coach, Kalisto Pasuwa to prematurely announce the list.

In the event that this did not happen, Dube was supposed to leak the list to the syndicate.

Their targets were a goalkeeper and two defenders, according to prosecutors.

However, Waguta informed Pasuwa of the alleged match-fixing and the plot exploded.