By Tichaona Katsvamutima
The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) and Premier Soccer League (PSL) are facing calls to investigate alleged match manipulation involving Scottland FC and CAPS United, alongside concerns over disputed player registrations, club ownership and sponsorship arrangements that have raised questions about the integrity of domestic football.
Harare-based legal practitioner and sports integrity advocate Lonias Rozvi Majoni has formally petitioned both football governing bodies, demanding independent scrutiny of the controversies and clarification on whether investigations have commenced.
Letters in possession of National Interest News indicate that ZIFA and the PSL received the respective submissions on November 2, 2026.
In his PSL submission, Majoni says the petition was made in the public interest following the league’s invitation for formal reports on suspected football misconduct.
“I enclose a report made in good faith in the public interest, responding to the League’s invitation for formal reports,” he states.
“It asks the PSL to confirm what has been done and to take specific, lawful steps. It does not allege guilt against anyone.”
Majoni is seeking preliminary inquiries through the appropriate disciplinary, ethics and club licensing structures, insisting that matters involving the conduct of football officials should be handled by independent bodies.
“So that the PSL is not judge in its own cause, any aspect concerning the conduct of PSL officials or organs is requested to be referred to ZIFA’s independent bodies,” the petition states.
At the centre of the controversy is an audio recording circulated on social media around October 28, allegedly featuring a woman identified as Bridget or Bridgette Mudhosi attempting to influence CAPS United goalkeeper Washington Arubi ahead of a league encounter against Scottland FC.
The woman reportedly asked Arubi to approach his teammates, claiming she had been “sent by Scott”. However, the recording has not been independently authenticated, and the identity of the person referred to remains unclear.
Arubi reportedly rejected the approach, while Scottland FC publicly denied authorising anyone to contact CAPS United players. Scottland subsequently won the match 1-0 under foreign match officials.
ZIFA responded by issuing a circular reaffirming its zero-tolerance stance on match manipulation, while the PSL invited anyone possessing credible evidence to submit formal reports.
Majoni now wants investigators to establish the recording’s authenticity, identify those involved and determine whether any individual subject to football regulations authorised the alleged approach.
His petition specifically requests the PSL to “confirm in writing whether a PSL inquiry under the PSL Rules is open and, if not, the reasons”.
He also wants the league to “preserve referee, match commissioner and security reports” relating to the fixture and “invite written accounts from both clubs”.
The lawyer further calls for cooperation with ZIFA’s relevant judicial structures and the Zimbabwe Republic Police where necessary, while suggesting that football authorities consider technical assistance from FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Importantly, the petition acknowledges that Arubi reportedly rejected the approach and makes no allegation of wrongdoing against the veteran goalkeeper.
The submissions also question Scottland FC’s player registration procedures, particularly the eligibility of Witbeen Stoffel, who featured in an August 14 Chibuku Super Cup encounter against FC Platinum.
The PSL charged Scottland on October 1 following complaints about Stoffel’s eligibility, but its Disciplinary Committee dismissed the case on October 31 on procedural grounds.
Although Majoni is not seeking to overturn the ruling, he wants the league to “publish the full written judgment and state the provision relied on”, arguing that public accounts of the applicable time-bar provisions have differed.
He also seeks clarification on a related eligibility complaint referred to ZIFA under the Munhumutapa Cup.
The petition further raises allegations that Scottland registered seven players during the mid-season transfer window despite a reported five-player limit.
A complaint challenging the registrations was lodged with the PSL on September 22.
Majoni wants the league to “confirm each PSL club’s compliance with the mid-season registration limit and the eligibility of the players challenged in the September 2026 complaints”.
He also demands an explanation of the basis on which registration passes were issued to certain mid-season signings amid reported questions about their eligibility.
Questions have also emerged over alleged common ownership or control involving Scottland FC and Hunters FC, which both reached the Munhumutapa Cup semi-finals in October.
Majoni is requesting verification of ownership declarations, financial interests and player transfer arrangements to establish whether the clubs operate independently.
Article 20 of the FIFA Statutes requires national associations to guard against multiple-club control where competition integrity could be compromised.
However, the lawyer acknowledges that the alleged ownership connection remains unverified.
“The allegation of common control is unverified on the Petitioner’s material,” the submission states.
He wants the PSL to confirm that it holds ownership and control declarations from participating clubs and that the relevant records concerning Scottland FC and Hunters FC have been examined.
The lawyer has also questioned whether adequate safeguards exist around Betterbrands’ sponsorship relationships involving several domestic clubs and ZIFA.
“Sponsoring several clubs is not, without more, unlawful or ‘control’,” the petition states.
Majoni is therefore seeking confirmation of the league’s conflict-of-interest safeguards, particularly where commercial relationships could intersect with football administration and regulatory decision-making.
To support his requests, the lawyer cites international football precedents, including the 2012 Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling involving former FIFA executive Amos Adamu, where undercover recordings featured in disciplinary proceedings.
He also references European disputes involving Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig, as well as Crystal Palace and Lyon, which examined questions of club control and influence.
While those cases arose under different regulatory frameworks, they illustrate how football authorities can scrutinise evidence and commercial relationships that potentially threaten competition integrity.
Majoni has requested acknowledgment of his petitions within seven days and substantive written responses within 30 days.
“If the matters are not taken up, the Petitioner reserves the right to refer them to FIFA or CAF reporting channels, and to law enforcement,” the PSL submission states.
However, he maintains that his objective is to strengthen football governance rather than seek punitive action against Zimbabwean football.
The petition makes clear that he “does not seek sanctions against the PSL or any club by way of threat” and prefers exhausting domestic remedies before pursuing external intervention.
With both ZIFA and the PSL having received the petitions on November 2, attention now turns to whether the governing bodies will initiate independent inquiries and clarify the status of the allegations.
