Creator:
Title:
Money, football and politics: Asiagate and the scourge of match-fixing in Zimbabwe
Group publication title:
Subject and Keywords:
match-fixing ; Asiagate ; football ; Zimbabwe
Abstract:
Football is the most popular game in Zimbabwe. Events and activities in this sport in many ways mirror the state of wider society in the country. This paper provides a grounded critique of how money, football and politics intersect through the lens of the Asiagate match-fixing scandal which engulfed post-2000 Zimbabwe. It utilizes reports and transcripts from the investigation to highlight the role of various actors in the match-fixing scandal including administrators, politicians, coaches, players, referees, and journalists. ; The paper argues that Asiagate needs to be understood in the context of the globalization of match-fixing and the socio-economic crises engulfing post-2000 Zimbabwe. The socio-economic crises characterized by widespread poverty and suffering left players vulnerable to match-fixers. The paper concludes that the politically connected and powerful players in the scandal were not held accountable and this has created precedence for the continued existence of match-fixing in Zimbabwean football.
Publisher:
Zielona Góra: Oficyna Wydawnicza Uniwersytetu Zielonogórskiego