Let’s name, shame the match-fixers, make the vice a criminal offence

One of the most famous cases of match-fixing in Kenya involved former cricket star Maurice Odumbe.

In fact, the case against the multiple Kenyan cricket World Cup hero was as much about manipulating matches as his proven association with known bookmakers.

Odumbe was found guilty on 12 counts including fixing matches by a judicial inquiry headed by retired judge of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe Justice Ahmed Ebrahim in 2004.

The inquiry found the former flamboyant, all-rounder, known for his flashy lifestyle, guilty of associating with a known bookmaker, accepting provision of hotel accommodation in India and payments of specific sums of money on several occasions from a known bookmaker.

It was proven in the inquiry that Odumbe received a cumulative sum of $18,000 (about Sh1,921,500) in cash from a known bookmaker and him owning up to getting $5,000 (Sh533,750) for fixing a match in Zimbabwe.

Kenya Cricket Association (now Cricket Kenya) had no option but to ban Odumbe, then one of their national jewels, for five years.

The details of Odumbe’s misadventure were astounding and make me wonder why we have not had cases of suspected match-fixing pursued and exposed in a similar manner in football.

That match-fixing is approaching pandemic level in Kenya is a matter of conjecture. But the whispers, speculations, perceptions and media reports point to a deep national problem that urgently needs robust effort to tame.

In April 2019 Fifa banned former Kenya and Mathare United defender George Owino for 10 years and fined him CHF15,000 (about Sh1.77 million) at today’s rate for involvement in match manipulation. Fifa stated that Owino had an association with a Wilson Raj who had been extensively investigated for attempting to manipulate results of international matches for betting purposes.

In February last year, four Homeboyz players were punished by Fifa for match-fixing. Kenyans Moses Chikati, Festus Okiring, and Festo Omukoto were banned from football for a period of four years while George Mandela, a Ugandan, was banned for life.

Fifa stated they had taken the action after investigating various 2019 Kenyan Premier League matches involving the said players.

Then last week Fifa ordered the relegation of Zoo from the FKF Premier League to the third tier Division One for involvement in match manipulation.

Fair and well. But what I found peculiar about the Zoo situation is that no names were mentioned, no specific matches were stated. Was Zoo as an entity manipulating matches or was it individual players, coaches, officials or/and owners of the club, whichever the case may be?

Come to think of it, none of all the banned people were given a chance to defend themselves, nor were any specific details of their cases given eg what amounts of money were paid and by whom, which bookmakers or fixers were involved and where. Who was to gain from the manipulated matches, and how.

I stand to be corrected, but I have never heard FKF strongly speak out against match-fixing other than to say the perfunctory “those found guilty of match-fixing will be banned for life”. When has the federation condemned the fixers in no uncertain terms and actively called on authorities to investigate all suspected cases.

Heck, I have not heard the federation leadership call and campaign for match manipulation to be criminalised in this country the way Athletics Kenya vigorously fought to make doping a criminal offence here.

The federation has been rather mute on Zoo’s case. Should it not have been at the forefront publicly demanding names of those involved so that they are shamed and shunned, and jailed?

The famous case of Olympique Marseille in 1993 should serve as food for thought for every Kenyan keen on fighting match-fixing.

Marseille president then Bernard Tapie and general manager Jean-Pierre Bernès attempted to fix their French Division One match against Valenciennes by bribing players.

The Marseille top officials through their player Jean-Jacques Eydelie offered bribes to Valenciennes players Jorge Burruchaga, Jacques Glassmann, and Christophe Robert to under-perform in the match so that Marseille could stay fresher for their 1993 Uefa Champions League final match against AC Milan six days later.

Burruchaga and Robert accepted the bribe while Glassmann turned it down. Perhaps racked by guilt, Robert contacted Valenciennes magistrate Éric de Montgolfier, two weeks after the match and admitted his role in the bribery scandal. Authorities acted swiftly, raiding Robert’s aunt’s home where they found French Francs 250,000.

The aftermath? French Football Federation (FFF) relegated Marseille. The FFF also banned Tarpie and Bernes for life and suspended the players involved for three years.

It did not end there. The involved parties were charged in court in 1995. The revelations of the trial were stunning. Bernès and Eydelie both admitted to corruption, and blamed Tapie for the incident.

The court was told that Marseille routinely used bribery to manipulate five to six matches a season.

In the end, Tapie was sentenced to over two years in prison and fined French Francs 20,000, while Bernès, Eydelie, Robert and Burruchaga were all given suspended prison sentences ranging between six months and two years.

Without involving DCI and our law system, I will say here that talk about match fixing in Kenya and “evidence” observed in the field of play is all anecdotal.

Did the goalkeeper let in that goal deliberately or was it simply a howler? You be the judge.