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was handed over to them on Tuesday.

In a statement yesterday, Zifa president Cuthbert Dube announced that they had slapped former Warriors coach Sunday “Mhofu’’ Chidzambwa and ex-Zifa chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya with life bans along with 13 others.

Rushwaya has long been considered the Asiagate mastermind together with jailed Singaporean national Wilson Raj Perumal and Jonathan Musavengana.
The life bans — according to Zifa — are with immediate effect with the association also having yesterday formally communicated their decision to world soccer governing body Fifa, the Confederation of African Football, Cosafa and the Sport and Recreation Commission.

Mamelodi Sundowns defender and former Warriors skipper Method Mwanjali, Dynamos centreback Guthrie Zhokinyi, Thomas Sweswe — who plies his trade with Bidvest Wits — and former CAPS United and Zimbabwe goalkeeper Edmore Sibanda are the four active players who have been banned from the game for life.
Former Dynamos and Njube Sundowns utility player Danisa Phiri, who was now working in the Quelaton technical department, was also sanctioned for life as was Motor Action goalkeepers’ coach Emmanuel Nyahuma.

The list also includes former Warriors fitness trainer Thompson “Rubberman’’ Matenda, and former Premier Soccer League fixtures secretary Godfrey Japajapa, Herald Senior Sports Editor Robson Sharuko, former Monomotapa official and journalist Hope Chizuzu and former player agent Kudzi Shaba.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association would like to confirm the receipt of the long-awaited report on the match-fixing and illegal betting scandal infamously known as the Asiagate scandal on Tuesday 16th October 2012.

“The report was presented to the Zifa board by the Ethics committee, prompting the Zifa board to convene an emergency meeting to study the report whereupon the Zifa board would make final pronouncements on the fate of players and officials previously fingered in the scandal.

“The Zifa board would like to place it on record, our deepest appreciation on the Justice Ahmed Ebrahim committee for a sterling job they did in coming up with the report. The committee had to endure a lot of hurdles ranging from lack of co-operation by some witnesses, lack of information trail at Zifa House, scarcity of resources to the sophisticated and delicate nature of the investigations to mention but a few.

“Zifa would also like to thank the millions of fans, the players, officials, the corporate world and the Government of Zimbabwe for their patience and restraint they exhibited during the times of investigations.

“The dark episode should be consigned to history’s dump site and it is incumbent upon the entire football family to jealously safeguard the beautiful game of football from its enemies.
“Let us not wait for this long to name and shame individuals who have no respect for the game’s ethos. We say zero tolerance to match-fixing and illegal betting,’’ Dube said.
The Zifa president also insisted that they would continue to release in batches the names and type of sanctions they have imposed on the rest of the individuals who were implicated in the Asiagate scam.

“The Zifa board will release lists of players and officials who have been banned in batches in October and November 2012 since the board has to handle the pronouncements of the bans in a meticulous manner.

“The batches shall be released in respect of the following bans:

• Players and officials banned for life

• Players and officials banned for 10 years

• Players and officials banned for five years

• Players and officials banned for three years

• Players and officials banned for two years

• Players and officials banned for one year’’.

However, with Fifa and Caf still to respond to the drastic Zifa actions, it was not immediately clear by last night how such foreign clubs like Black Leopards where Chidzambwa is head coach and Mwanjali’s Sundowns would react.

Fifa and Caf however, normally respect and endorse whatever sanctions a member association would have taken as part of disciplinary measures.
Mwanjali was the Warriors captain during and after the controversial tours to Asian countries where the senior team is alleged to have been paid to lose matches.
But for Zhokinyi, the ban means he is now out of Dynamos’ Mbada Diamonds Cup quarter-final showdown against Gunners at Baghdad tomorrow.

Zifa also used yesterday’s opportunity to announce that they had exonerated a further eight individuals, who include Poland-based defender Costa Nhamoinesu,, former Dynamos goalkeeper Willard Manyatera, Dynamos right back David Kutyauripo and CAPS United striker Washington Pakamisa.
Warriors doctor Edward Chagonda and the pair of former Zifa councillor Solomon Makuvaro and Cyril Mukweva, a councillor, have also been exonerated.

Zifa also revealed that they had written to the affected individuals outlining the life bans and indicated to them that they could seek recourse at the Centre for Arbitration in Sport, an international body based in Zurich, Switzerland.

List of players and officials banned for life
Henrietta Rushwaya (former chief executive), Jonathan Musavengana (former programmes officer ), Kudzi Shaba  (former Fifa player agent), Sunday Chidzambwa (former Warriors coach), Thompson Matenda (former Warriors fitness trainer), Godfrey Japajapa (former PSL fixtures secretary), Rodwell Dhlakama (former Monomotapa coach), Emmanuel Nyahuma (former Warriors goalkeepers coach), Robson Sharuko (journalist working for The Herald), Edmore Sibanda (former Warriors goalkeeper), Danisa Phiri (former Warriors player), Thomas Sweswe (former national player), Guthrie Zhokinyi (former Warriors player), Method Mwanjali (former Warriors player and captain), Hope Chizuzu (former official for Monomotapa and journalist).
List of players and officials exonerated  
Gilbert Banda, Justice Majabvi, Richard Mteki, Energy Murambadoro, Costa Nhamoinesu, Kingston Nkatha, Washington Pakamisa, Edward Sadomba, David Kutyauripo, Lincolin Zvasiya, Cuthbert Malajila, Willard Manyatera, Brighton Tuwaya, Edward Chagonda (team doctor), Cyril Mukweva (Zifa official), Solomon Makuvaro (former Zifa official).