With the courts recently clearing former Zimbabwe Football Association Chief Executive Officer, Henrietta Rushwaya, of most charges brought against her in the scandal, some are calling for other suspended players to be cleared. But FIFA this week dismissed the notion that the players should be set free after the alleged mastermind of the controversy was cleared.
“We are currently monitoring the situation, but please understand that we cannot speculate on the future of the players at this stage and therefore cannot comment any further,” said a Zurich-based FIFA official in an email response to questions from The Zimbabwean.
The match-fixing saga took a new twist earlier this month when Zifa mulled over suspending senior national team players for allegedly staying in contact with Rushwaya, who had earlier organised Benjani Mwaruwari’s farewell match.
Zifa raised concern at Rushwaya’s involvement and reported the issue to FIFA, which confirmed the report but kept the contents under a tight lid. Rushwaya was accused of being the mastermind of the “Asiagate” scandal, regarded as the worst scandal to hit local football. Between 2007 and 2009, players are alleged to have accepted vast amounts of money to influence the outcome of matches during tours in Asia.
Post published in: Football