ZIFA chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze told The Zimbabwean his association would lodge a protest with Caf. "We can't take those reports lightly. Investigations have to be carried out and as ZIFA we will lodge a complaint with Caf over these match fixing allegations. There are efforts to ensure that Zimbabwe does not qualify," said Mashingaidze.
Mali are involved in a fierce battle with Zimbabwe and Cape Verde in Group A for the top spot in the final round of matches on Saturday.
According to Liberia's Daily Observer Sports newspaper, a delegation from Mali spent two weeks in Liberia offering deals to local officials. The paper reported that Malian officials told their Liberian counterparts that the Monrovia match was a “mere yawn” because the hosts, who have four points, cannot qualify for the finals set for Gabon and Equatorial Guinea early next year.
The paper said the claims were made by a Liberian outfit called the Concerned Citizens for the Promotion and Development of Football.
The group’s spokesman told the newspaper they had obtained “classified information from an inside source” about the bribery attempts.
“The Malian delegation was in the country for two weeks under the guise of visiting their Muslim counterparts on the holding of a successful Ramadan, which ended on Tuesday, August 30, 2011,” the newspaper reported.
“The group stressed that mathematically, Liberia’s last game with Mali at home on Saturday, October 8, 2011, is a ‘mere yawn,” owing to the country’s poor position on the table.
“They said the group topper, Mali… desperately needs a win against Liberia to grab the lone seat.”
The paper said Liberian officials had accepted “an undisclosed amount of money”.
Post published in: Football