Chiefs' Meleka remains blacklisted

FREDERICK KEBADIRETSE
Staff Writer | Wednesday May 9, 2012 00:00

 

The player was banned by ZIFA among 82 others in January this year at the end of investigations of a match fixing scandal dubbed 'Asiagate'. 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 during Far East trips between 2007 and 2009.

Former Zimbabwe captain, Method Mwanjali and top national team players Daniel Vheremu, Benjamin Marere and Thomas Sweswe along with a member of the coaching staff made statements admitting taking money. An independent committee set up to investigate the matter on Monday, cleared 33 players of match fixing allegations levelled against them by the ethics committee. But the Chiefs' midfielder, who is vying for his first medal on the local scene, was nowhere on the cleared players' list, meaning Maleka is still blacklisted.

Meleka has proved a worthy signing for Chiefs in the defensive midfield role, playing almost every match until the recent return from injury of Michael Mogaladi. By remaining on the blacklist, Meleka will not be available for national team selection. The ethics committee has reiterated that they will speed up investigations into the scandal to make sure it is water under the bridge by the end of the year.

It is still unclear what will happen to the implicated players if found guilty, but possibilities of some strong penalties like a lifetime ban from football cannot be ruled out. FIFA, the world soccer governing body, takes a serious view of any match fixing and the wrongdoers can only expect the worst. Just early this week six Zambian players received worldwide bans following match fixing allegations in Finland.

Despite the suspension, Meleka remains available for Chiefs for, as neither FIFA nor ZIFA has communicated anything about the banned players. A good number of players on the initial blacklist ply their trade in the South African ABSA Premier League.Meanwhile, Meleka's team mate at Chiefs, defender, Arnold Chaka, emerged an unlikely benefactor from the Asiagate scandal as former Chiefs coach Rahman Gumbo gave him his first national team call following the suspension of some key national team defenders.