2 Zim referees in bribery storm

Sikhumbuzo Moyo in BULAWAYO
TWO Zimbabwean football referees have been accused of accepting bribes when they officiated in an Under-23 African Cup of Nations qualifier between a Central and North African country in March this year.

One of the referees has since been suspended by the ZIFA Referees’ Committee for alleged insubordination after he refused to respond to the allegations.

He had been challenged by the committee headed by Bryton Malandule to write a report over the damaging allegations.

According to sources, the particular match, which was eventually won by the North African country, featured four Zimbabwean match officials.

Two were from Harare, one from Matabeleland South and the other from Bulawayo.

“No-one one has been suspended, it’s just speculation,” said Malandule yesterday. Sources said the referee had been suspended and CAF have already been appraised of the developments.

“He will not be officiating any local games in the foreseeable future as investigations are underway,’’ the sources said.

“The other one, who was also targeted, is said to have given his side of the story, but we don’t know what exactly he told the committee.’’

Last year, a Zimbabwean referee, Norman Matemera, rejected a US$10 000 bribe by Equatorial Guinea outfit Desportivo Niefang to influence the result of their decisive CAF Confederation Cup play-off tie against Cote d’Ivoire’s Williamsville Athletic Club.

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