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Match-fixing scam rocks Zifa . . . Kasinauyo suspended . . . Zim-Swaziland match targeted

Swaziland and Zimbabwe are top of Africa Nations Cup qualification Group L on four points after two games, with the winners gaining automatic entry to next year’s tournament in Gabon.

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In a statement posted on its website on Tuesday, Zifa noted that Kasinauyo’s suspension had been “occasioned by allegations of match fixing ahead of the 2017 Orange Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Zimbabwe and Swaziland” , adding that investigations were continuing and more details would be released.

The Herald newspaper on Wednesday published a detailed article which alleged the involvement of Gorowa, current Warriors assistant coach Nation Dube, Pretoria University defender Patson Jaure and Polokwane City goalkeeper George Chigova.

Mashingaidze said the ZIFA president Philip Chiyangwa would issue a full statement after communicating with the relevant bodies Caf, FIFA and the Zimbabwe government.

“The facts reported are very serious”, CAF secretary general Hicham El Amrani said in a statement on Wednesday.

ZIFA said it had “credible evidence” in the form of emails and audio recordings that “directly” implicated executive committee member Kasinauyo in trying to fix Zimbabwe’s home and away African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Swaziland at the end of this month.

ZIFA CEO Jonathan Mashingaidze confirmed the suspension of Kasinauyo.

The 40-year-old was elected to the Zifa executive committee in December and was part of his country’s squad at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2006.

Zimbabwean soccer has been rocked by a match-fixing scandal before, when almost 100 players and officials were suspended over fixed national team games on tours to Asia between 2007 and 2009. That scam was believed to be masterminded by Singaporean match-fixers Wilson Raj Perumal and Dan Tan.

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Some of the players and officials admitted to throwing matches but flaws in handling of the case by ZIFA led to collapse of investigations.

Edzai Kasinauyo with former Ajax Cape Town CEO George Comitis and Tafadzwa Rusike in 2010