Assistant referee Kudzanai Hiya was slapped with a five-year ban for match-fixing in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match involving Dynamos and Herentals on 12th May. Hiya had denied the charges but was found guilty by the Zimbabwean Football Association (ZIFA) disciplinary committee of receiving a bribe in connection with the scandalous incident meant to fix the result in favor of Dynamos. The controversy fanned out and sparked a wider discussion of corruption within Zimbabwean football, especially where match officials’ integrity is touched upon.
The Match-fixing Case
Kudzanai Hiya has been charged following his contentious handling of the televised 1-1 draw between Dynamos and Herentals, a match mired in a bribery scandal. He is accused of receiving $400 from a Dynamos supporter to fix the result. Snared on video, the public outcry arose when he flagged two goals—one from either team—as offside. The decisions caused disturbances as angry fans stormed the pitch, littering it with missiles.
The Disciplinary Committee of the Zimbabwean Football Association (ZIFA) considered that he accepted the bribe, linking his conduct with the attempt to help the team, Dynamos, win the match. The match ended in a draw, but the debate left an unforgettable mark on Zimbabwean football. Kudzanai Hiya’s behavior was deemed detrimental to football and thus brought into disrepute both ZIFA and the profession of refereeing.
The Sentence and Ban
An investigation by the ZIFA Referees Committee, comprising Brighton Mudzaniri, Wilfred Makuna, and Tapfumanei Mutengwa, found Kudzanai Hiya guilty of manipulating a match. Hiya has been given a five-year ban from officiating at any football match, with a fine of 100,000 Swiss francs, approximately $116,650. The committee further clarified that Kudzanai Hiya’s conduct was against the spirit of fair play, alleging his conduct belittled the confidence entrusted in match officials.
Aside from the ban, Kudzanai Hiya was hit with an additional five-match suspension for bringing the game and ZIFA into disrepute. Two other charges facing the former Dynamos defender – gross incompetence and failure to observe play – were thrown out during the trial. Highly charged despite his proclaimed innocence, evidence was overwhelmingly against Kudzanai Hiya.
The Wider Impact on Zimbabwean Soccer
Kudzanai Hiya’s scandal could not have come at a worse time. Zimbabwean football has been under the jackboot of corruption and match-fixing scandals that have threatened to tear asunder the integrity of the game. Though referee Tichaona Mbire, who officiated the controversial match, was cleared of all charges and reinstated, other referees have also been fingered in questionable officiating decisions.
In a related incident, after a Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final match when Simba Bhora and Highlanders shared the spoils, a late penalty against Highlanders saw the abandonment of the game in protest from the latter’s players and referees Cecil Gwezwere and his assistant Zondzi Ngosana were immediately suspended. The Premier Soccer League tribunal is still deliberating on the Highlanders’ involvement in abandoning that match; its verdict is likely anytime soon.
Conclusion
A five-year ban handed down to Kudzanai Hiya for his role in match-fixing is a grim reminder of corruption threats hanging over the beautiful game. His banishment-with some level of accountability-underlines how desperate increased oversight in Zimbabwean football has become. With other referees also under scrutiny, it is assured fair play will be ensured by the Zimbabwean Football Association and the Premier Soccer League if public confidence in football governing is to be restored. The implication from Kudzanai Hiya’s case would, therefore, mean that only strict measures against corruption could save the future of Zimbabwean football.
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