Zimbabwe football team disbanded, match-fixing fiasco continues

Zimbabwe’s national soccer team was disbanded Friday as a match-fixing scandal continued to seriously undermine the sport in the country even after the conclusion of an investigation into widespread corruption.

ZIFA President Cuthbert Dube questioned the integrity of the team in its last match two weeks ago after it let a 3-1 aggregate lead slip against Angola to miss out on qualification for next year’s African Cup of Nations.

Dube said the team — dogged for more than two years by fixing allegations and with some players and officials only recently banned for life — has now been “discarded.”

Dube said only a few current players would be kept after the long-running scandal. He also said his body would put in place an appeals process in accordance with FIFA rules after the 15 players, officials and reporters were banned for life for helping fix Zimbabwe games on tours to Asia in 2009.

Dube said those that were banned can appeal beginning Monday.