Zimpapers Logo

Philani “Beefy” Ncube

Paul Mundandi Sports Reporter—

THE Bulawayo City duo of chairman Jerry Sibanda and coach Philani “Beefy” Ncube have become the latest duo to be suspended for the match-fixing saga involving the club and Border Strikers.The bans were imposed by the ZIFA executive.

“Two Bulawayo City Football Club officials, Philani Ncube and Jerry Sibanda have been provisionally suspended by the Zimbabwe Football Association Executive Committee and the two are immediately barred from participating in association football activities in Zimbabwe,” a statement on the Association website said.

“Both Sibanda and Ncube, who are the chairperson and head coach of Bulawayo City respectively, were complicit in the attempt to manipulate the outcome of a Premier Soccer League match between Border Strikers and Bulawayo City at Dulivadzimu Stadium on 3 August 2016.

“The ZIFA Executive Committee convened on the 13th of November and resolved to immediately bar Sibanda and Ncube from holding positions in association football or associating with ZIFA and any of its members.

“The ZIFA Executive Committee agreed that Sibanda and Ncube had shown absolute disdain and disregard of the ZIFA constitution by their unsportsmanlike conduct which intransigently violates Article 2 (e) and Article 7 of the ZIFA constitution.”

Disciplinary proceedings for the suspended officials will be instituted in due course.

On August 4, Ncube, his assistant Farai Mujokoro and kit manager Gift Mvala were suspended by Bulawayo City.

Mvala and Mujokoro were then banned from the game by the Premier Soccer League disciplinary committee.

The trio was alleged to have attempted to bribe Border Strikers goalkeeper Talent Sande ahead of a match between the two teams.