Former PSL midfielder among ei

Hellings Mwakasungula of Malawi heads the ball during their qualifing match in the African Cup of Nations football championships CAN2010 between Algeria and Malawi at the November 11 stadium in Angola’s capital Luanda. PHOTO: JOE KLAMA/?AFP

Former PSL midfielder among eight players banned for life for match fixing

A Malawi midfielder who briefly played in the PSL is among eight players banned for life over attempts to fix international matches.

Former PSL midfielder among ei

Hellings Mwakasungula of Malawi heads the ball during their qualifing match in the African Cup of Nations football championships CAN2010 between Algeria and Malawi at the November 11 stadium in Angola’s capital Luanda. PHOTO: JOE KLAMA/?AFP

FIFA have issued eight lifetime bans to current and former players as well as an agent on Wednesday after they were found guilty of match fixing among them a former Premier Soccer League (PSL) player.

Former Sierra Leone captain Ibrahim Kargbo and ex-Trinidad and Tobago defender Keyeno Thomas were among the men suspended from all football-related activities over attempts to fix matches at international level. Kargbo was among 15 players and officials suspended from international football over allegations of match-fixing relating to an AFCON qualifier in 2008 against South Africa which ended 0–0.

Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant reported in 2015 that Kargbo had been accused of match fixing during his time at Willem II, serving as the main contact for a gambling syndicate and selling them losses against AFC Ajax and Feyenoord.

Four of the men given lifetime bans hail from Africa with Malawi’s Hellings Mwakasungula and Séïdath Tchomogo of Benin completing the quartet of shame.

Mwakasungula may be familiar to fans of the PSL from his stints at Moroka Swallows and Santos of Cape Town. He joined Swallows in 2007 from Malawian club Silver Strikers but made just nine appearances for the club in two years and failed to register a goal. His time at Santos wasn’t any better and he returned to Malawi having played just one league game for the club.

At 36-years-old he was still active in professional football with Silver Stars. He has been capped 21 times for Malawi, scoring one goal.

Tchomogo has played 45 times for Benin scoring ten goals, he was playing his football in Oman with Al-Suwaiq.

Fifa also banned former players from, Afghanistan and Cuba, as well as Zimbabwean agent Kudzanai Shaba.

Kenyan defender George Owino Audi received a 10-year ban and a fine of 15,000 Swiss francs (13,165 euros).

The decision comes after a vast investigation into attempts by Singaporean Wilson Raj Perumal to fix a great many matches at international and club level.

“This large-scale investigation was conducted by FIFA over several years through its integrity department and in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders and authorities,” read a FIFA statement.

The bans come into effect immediately.