08 Dec 2015

Central South Region Football Association (CSRFA) affiliates and Under-15 players were recently trained on the dangers of match fixing by Footballers Union of Botswana (FUB) in Mahalapye.

Speaking in the match fixing workshop the secretary general of FUB Kgosana Masaseng said match fixing was an act of improperly influencing the result of a football match for financial gain.

He said match fixers approach players or coaches in many ways like indirect approach of offering gifts and money, by indirect approach through friends or family and by using threats.

He encouraged players to resist match fixing as there is a high risk of them getting caught, a risk of a life time ban from football when caught, a potential criminal prosecution and prison sentence as well as shame on the player, his team, family and friends.

He urged the players and coaches to report an approach by match fixers to authorities as doing so can alert football and law enforcement authorities that attempts at manipulation are happening, furthermore he said reporting an approach deters match fixers.

When approached by match fixers Masaseng said a player or coach can report to players’ union representative, FIFA security or local police.

Narrating his personal experiences about match fixers who approached him FUB President Mmoni Segopolo said the approach happened at Gabon in 2012 while he was part of the Zebras technical team when the team took part in African Cup of nations (AFCON).

He said initially the match fixer who approached him said he was interested in helping Zebras players to find clubs to play for in Europe after their impressive showing against Ghana in their first match.

As time went on the match fixer brought another man of Asian origin who told him (Segopolo) that if Zebras lose their final group game by a margin of 7 to 8 goals each player will get US$10 000 but he turned down the offer despite the man increasing the money up to US$30 000 for each player. Ends