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Farai Mujokoro

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
BANNED Bulawayo City FC assistant coach Farai Mujokoro yesterday made damming allegations against some top Zifa officials in the Southern Region, saying they had advised him to implicate club chairman Jerry Sibanda and coach Philani “Beefy” Ncube in exchange for his freedom.

Last week the Premier Soccer League disciplinary committee slapped Mujokoro and kit manager Gift Mvala with a five-year ban for attempting to fix a match between City and Border Strikers in August.

Mujokoro and Mvala together with their club appeared before a PSL disciplinary committee hearing on September 6 and 27. PSL disciplinary committee chairman Vusi Vuma handed down the five-year bans on Mujokoro and Mvala on October 24, while Bulawayo City were found not guilty.

Mujokoro and Mvala had pleaded not guilty to the charges laid against them, but evidence presented at the hearing proved that the two were guilty of attempting to bribe Border Strikers goalkeeper Talent Sande to throw the match against City at Dulivhadzimu Stadium on August 3.

Breaking his silence on the match fixing allegations and the ban, Mujokoro told Chronicle Sport in an exclusive interview that he met top Zifa officials (names supplied) at a city office who told him his ban can be lifted if he nailed Ncube and Sibanda.

“I don’t know if my first trial was fair because the top guy (name supplied) told me to my face that a member of the PSL disciplinary committee was his relative and had I approached him earlier he could have helped sway the decision in my favour. He told me on Tuesday that he can still help me get my signing on fee from the club and get a favourable decision from the Zifa appeals committee if I say Jerry (Sibanda) and Beefy (Ncube) are the ones who gave me money to give the Border Strikers goalkeeper,” said Mujokoro.

“They told me that there are club officials who are close to them who will speed up the process of me getting my dues and if I’m willing to finger Jerry and Beefy, put the doctored confession in writing then everything will be okay,” said Mujokoro.

According to the PSL disciplinary committee’s judgment, Mujokoro is said to have offered Sande $200, which was rejected and in turn the City assistant coach agreed to pay $300 before the game, $200 after and $100 bonus. Sande had informed Border Strikers board of trustees’ Godfrey Jera when he realised that Mujokoro was serious.

The findings of the hearing were that it was not disputed that the mobile number used to call Sande and contact him on WhatsApp was the same one that Mujokoro had provided in his PSL registration. It is also registered on EcoCash as Mujokoro’s number.

“I’m innocent, that is why I want to appeal. I never attempted to bribe anyone and I feel it’s not fair for them (Zifa officials) to even think Jerry and Sibanda were in this. I know one day the truth shall come out and I’m even thinking of appealing directly to the Zifa president (Philip Chiyangwa) since they told me that my appeal will be thrown away if I don’t provide names,” said Mujokoro.

Meanwhile, City’s internal disciplinary hearings for the suspended technical members are expected to be concluded on Tuesday.

Amakhosi decided to suspend head coach Ncube, goalkeepers’ coach Reginald Buhali, Mujokoro and Mvala in August when the allegations of attempting to fix the match against Border Strikers came out.

With Mujokoro and Mvala now banned, it is understood that some within the City leadership are pushing for Ncube to be reinstated as head coach.

However, there are those said to be adamant that there is no way Mujokoro could have attempted to fix the match without Ncube’s knowledge. —

@ZililoR