By Andrew Warshaw
November 9 – The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has set up a special body to deal with appeals over the bans handed out in the country’s infamous match-fixing scandal.
Fifteen players and officials have so far been given life bans and four others 10-year suspensions in a case dubbed Asiagate.
The new committee includes Silas Chekera, a defence lawyer at the International Criminal Court, and Thabani Mpofu, an advocate of the High Court and Supreme Court of Zimbabwe.
The country’s players’ union, the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe (FUZ), is incredulous that a fee of $6,000 (£3,800/€4,700) has been fixed in order for any appeal to be heard.
“It’s too heavy for the players, taking into consideration that players are paid an average of $300 (£188/€235) a month,” FUZ secretary Paul Gundani told the BBC.
“It’s going to be almost impossible for the Zimbabwe-based players to come up with the money.”
Meanwhile, a total of 74 players and officials are still waiting to learn of they too will be sanctioned by ZIFA.
Those charged allegedly took money to throw games during national team tours to Asia between 2007 and 2009.
Clubs in South Africa where some of those accused compete have not acted yet but once FIFA extends the bans, they will find they can no longer use the relevant players.
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