By:Uakutura Kambaekua
Opuwo’s third-division league has yet to issue an official statement about the match-fixing allegations and manipulation of football competition results involving two games played in the town on the weekend of June 17, 2023.
The Opuwo third division, an affiliate of the Kunene Football League (KFL), has recently become the talk of the town after two of its fixtures ended in goals galore totalling 87 goals shared between Opuwo Young Rangers who thrashed Epupa Zebra Stars by 58 goals to nil margin.
Another humiliating encounter included Opuwo Golden Wolves, who defeated Western Boys FC by a 27-goal unanswered margin.
As a result, several football pundits and fans across the country have more questions than answers. Football fans have asked for an investigation, comparing the scenario to match-fixing.
If no corruption or match-fixing scandals are discovered, these results may be as well included in the Guinness Book of Records.
The league’s mother body (KFL) just declared that the four teams in question, as well as all players and officials, have been suspended from all league competitions and the 2nd Division play-offs under its jurisdiction, with immediate effect.
The teams have infringed on the league’s statutory provisions to observe the principles of loyalty, integrity, and good sports behaviour as an expression of fair play, according to the KFL Chairperson Marshal Gomeb.
According to Gomeb, the teams who finished third and fourth will officially replace the champion and runners-up in the 2nd Division playoffs.
However, this publication has not established how the mother body arrived at its conclusion as of yet no additional inquiry has either been performedor discussions undertaken with the Opuwo league management.
Attempts to reach the KFL chairperson for an explanation were futile as his phone went unanswered.
When asked about the league’s opinion on the matter, the Chairperson of Opuwo’s Third Division League, Vakatika Hindjou, stated that he learned about the story on social media platforms and did not have first-hand information about what happened that weekend because he was away on another assignment.
Hindjou asserted that the league’s management has yet to issue an official statement on the matter due to the fact they are currently conducting investigations.
“We are still busy with our investigation; we have yet to make a decision because we are still investigating it. Not only the goals scored may indicate match manipulation,” Hindjou noted.
The Opuwo Third Division League and its governing organisation, the KFL, appear to have numerous misunderstandings and contradictions. According to the Opuwo League management, they have no knowledge of any KFL investigations involving the suspension of the four teams suspected (or not suspected) of match-fixing and corruption.
Hindjou further argued that KFL’s suspension of the teams is premature and incorrect since teams in the Opuwo Third Division do not report to KFL and therefore should have instructed them to conduct in-house investigations rather than the other way around.
Three league clubs, nanmely HotSpring Football Club, Clever Boys Sport Club and Young Kings Football Club recently wrote to the league’s management to submit a protest about a probable match-fixing event.
“As representatives of HotSpring Football Club, Clever Boys Sport Club and Young Kings Football Club, we are deeply concerned about the integrity of the competition and the potential repercussions it may have on the overall reputation of football,” they stated.
Given that both matches included clubs contending for the top spots, the results issue generated suspicions of match-fixing, according to the letter.
“It is worth noting that Opuwo Young Rangers finished first in the league standings, but no official confirmation or communication from the league has been received to crown them as Opuwo 3rd division champions. Given these factors, we feel the matches in issue were rigged to secure the success of a specific team,” the letter continues.
According to the letter, there is convincing evidence to corroborate such accusations, including an audio clip of the referee stating his views throughout the game, in which he admits to observing anomalies and attempting to halt the game.
“Furthermore, we have an audio recording of an Epupa Zebra Stars member admitting to accepting N$ 2000 from an unidentified individual in order to deliberately lose the game by a significant margin.”
“In light of these troubling developments, we demand an immediate and thorough investigation into the alleged match-fixing incident,” the letter stated.
“The league committee’s lack of communication and transparency has only heightened our concerns.We request that the appropriate authorities take prompt and decisive action to protect the integrity of the game and ensure fair competition in the Opuwo 3rd Division,” the letter further stated.