Belgian-based Zimbabwean soccer star, Knowledge Musona, was recently caught betting soccer matches in the Belgian top flight league.
The Ostende striker is one of the many cited by several Belgium based media outlets to be suspected of committing the offence of gambling in matches they were involved in.
Musona reportedly admitted and notified his club of his actions and cooperated.
Betting, simply gambling by risking one’s money on an unpredictable result, is a worldwide phenomenon, but football players are not allowed to bet in the leagues they play for due to fears that it might compromise the outcome of matches.
This compelled football experts in the country to warn Musona and other footballers to shun betting and other practices that might affect their careers.
Retired, Bulawayo-based journalist, Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu, says no athlete should be allowed to bet on any game of the kind of sports in which he takes part.
“The best solution is to prohibit professional soccer players from soccer sports gambling; the same should apply to all FIFA referees and other umpires who perform at the same international, even those at national level,” he says.
Ndhlovu also says professional soccer players and referees are in a position (in that sport) that enables them to know the strengths as well as weaknesses of various teams, and can, as a result of that fact, make much more correct predictions about results of important soccer matches than most ordinary people.
“That consideration alone should disallow them from placing bets on matches in which they are involved or are likely to be professionally involved.
“That is because their participation either as players or as adjudicators in any such match may or can determine the match’s outcome,” he adds.
In an interview with 263Chat, soccer analyst, Tonderai Marime, also says footballers should shun unethical practices such as betting and only concentrate on playing soccer.
“Players should desist from practices that threaten the development of their careers,” he says.
For this to happen, Marime says there is need to train their handlers and produce a code of conduct to regulate their operations.
He adds, “There is also a need to carry out workshops for players when they are in camp and educate them on the consequences of unethical practices.”
Sharing the exact sentiments, media practitioner, Liberty Mafukidze says unethical practices in football threaten the game’s integrity which is one of its major assets.
He, therefore, urges all stakeholders to join hands and counter gambling and other toxic elements such as match-fixing.
“Stakeholders have to collaborate to combat this threat, sometimes across different legal and sporting jurisdictions,” he says, adding, “Though oftenly constrained by limited resources and restrictions on the ability to share information and intelligence they should be supported so that they restore integrity.”
Soccer analyst, Edmore Mazivofa, concurs.
“Football has become a target for criminal activity like betting and match fixing. This should be stopped if our players are to develop,” he sums up.
