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Nation Dube

Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
ZIFA have ordered Hwange FC to suspend their coach Nation Dube until he clears his name from on-going match-fixing allegations. Dube is alleged to be part of a cartel that was planning to fix Zimbabwe’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against Swaziland on Good Friday.

Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze said he had written to Hwange yesterday notifying them of the association’s position on Dube.

“We sent communication to Hwange this morning (yesterday), telling them that Nation Dube should recuse himself from all football activities, including coaching Hwange, until his matter is finalised,” Mashingaidze said.

Dube, who was also the national team’s assistant coach, has been left out of the Warriors’ technical set up that will go into camp this coming Sunday.

Allegations against the Hwange gaffer are that he was given money by the syndicate to pay players during the African Nations Championship (Chan) tournament in Rwanda last month. Hwange chairman Joseph Zulu said they would implement Zifa’s instructions.

“I’m not in possession of the letter, but as an affiliate of Zifa through the Premier Soccer League, we stand guided by what the national association says,” Zulu said.

In the absence of Dube, the coalminers will be under the guidance of Mebelo Njekwa and Brian Njobvu.

Zifa executive committee member for development Edzai Kasinauyo was the first person to be publicly linked with the scandal and suspended last week.

Ex-Zifa chief executive officer Henrietta Rushwaya and former Warriors’ coach Ian Gorowa have also been implicated in the latest match-fixing scandal.

Rushwaya has been named as the local mastermind, who had direct contact with the Asian match fixing kingpins.

Rushwaya claims to have been working with British anti-corruption consultant Terry Stearns, a former member of the Fifa crack team that was fighting match-fixing around the world.

The syndicate, which was also operating in South Africa, targeted South African-based goalkeepers Washington Arubi and George Chigova. Dynamos goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva is said to be one of Zifa’s key witnesses. Mashingaidze said all players found guilty of match-fixing will be punished.

“The president (Philip Chiyangwa) will issue a statement on the association’s position with regards to everyone implicated in this scandal. Obviously we don’t want to compromise the national team and as such, proper action will be taken,” said Mashingaidze.

He said hearings would start next week as they are in the process of setting up a committee to deal with the alleged match-fixers.

Sport and Recreation Minister Makhosini Hlongwane yesterday said match-fixers will face the music. “Morning guys, making good progress on the match-fixing case, good evidence at hand. God help us teach people a good lesson,” Hlongwane tweeted.