Warriors captain Marvelous Nakamba has finally broken his silence over match-fixing allegations that surfaced after Zimbabwe’s heartbreaking 3–2 defeat to South Africa at AFCON.
With the match delicately poised at 2–2 late in stoppage time, Nakamba was adjudged to have handled the ball in the penalty area. The decision handed Bafana Bafana a spot kick, calmly converted by Oswin Appollis, sealing Zimbabwe’s exit from the tournament.
The loss ended the Warriors’ hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages for the first time since their AFCON debut in Tunisia 2004. Once again, Zimbabwe bowed out at the group stage, and emotions spilled over.
In the aftermath, sections of social media turned on Nakamba, accusing the Luton Town midfielder of deliberately costing Zimbabwe the match. Some even went as far as claiming he had been paid to fix the game, alleging the bribe was in South African Rand.
Nakamba responded bluntly to one such claim online:
“Which Rand? I have got my own money.”
Showing off his luxurious wheels on Social media, Nakamba said:
I achieved All of This, with no Handout just only hard work and Dedication,🙏
The accusations did not stop with the captain. Veteran goalkeeper Washington Arubi and Divine Lunga were also dragged into the narrative after defensive errors contributed to South Africa’s first two goals.
However, there has been no evidence to support any of the match-fixing claims. The allegations remain baseless and dangerous, with the potential to unfairly tarnish the reputations of players who risk their bodies and careers every time they step onto the pitch.
Football is emotional. Losing hurts, especially when history is within reach. But blaming players without proof crosses a line.
Criticism is part of the game. Reckless accusations are not.
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