Advertisement

Zimbabwe FA suspends 67 players following match-fixing scandal

Ryan Bailey
Zimbabwe's No. 13 was absolutely astonished by the header (Getty)
Zimbabwe's No. 13 was absolutely astonished by the header (Getty)

Thanks to Robert Mugabe's unique approach to democracy and socioeconomic policy, the Zimbabwe national football team doesn't get a whole lot of action outside of Africa and Asia. The Warriors are about to get a lot less action, as the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has suspended 67 players following a match-fixing scandal. Reports ESPN:

A ZIFA probe last year led to a number of players admitting that they accepted money from an Asian betting syndicate to lose exhibition games on Far East trips from 2007-09.

The ZIFA report said the money was handed out by agents of Singaporean Wilson Raj Perumal, who is in jail in Finland for fixing activities in that country.

The controversial Far East tours were organized by ZIFA chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya, who sent the team out to play without the permission of the ZIFA board. In 2009, she also sent Zimbabwe club Monomotapa to Malaysia to play in a tournament, pretending that it was actually the national team. Unsurprisingly, she lost her job in 2010.

Players who have admitted to accepting money include awesomely named former captain Method Mwanjali, along with Daniel Vheremu, Benjamin Marere, Thomas Sweswe and a few others you've also never heard of.

Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
• Dirty Tackle: Bolivians defeated by awesome 20-yard scorpion kick
• Hot Stove Daily: Toronto Blue Jays fail to meet offseason expectations
• Roto Arcade: Pressing Questions for the 2012 Toronto Blue Jays
• Games: 'Madden NFL 12' picks Giants to win Super Bowl XLVI