By Torby Chimhashu

THE Premier Soccer League (PSL) has launched a probe into match-fixing allegations after Lengthens lost 6-0 to relegation-threatened Motor Action on Sunday.

Lengthens fans and security staff assaulted some players at half-time and soon after the final whistle, accusing them of taking bungs to throw away the match.

John Chikochi, the Lengthens director, told New Zimbabwe.com after the match: “We are not happy at all with the defeat at Motor Action. Our performance left a lot to be desired and management feels there could have been underhand dealings. We don't understand how such a good bunch of players could suddenly put up a performance like that.”

On Wednesday, PSL Secretary General Kennedy Ndebele said the league took a dim view of match-fixing, and the allegations made by Lengthens officials were concerning.

Ndebele said: “We have circulated the story from your website to members of the PSL management committee. As a league, we take these allegations seriously, especially when they are coming from the director of a club.

“I understand the match report has been dropped at the PSL head office in Harare. We were waiting for the referee’s report. The PSL will engage Lengthens and request findings from their own internal probe.

“We will soon meet as the management committee to establish what happened. If there are any irregularities we won’t hesitate to take action and rid the league of undesirable elements,” said Ndebele.

The PSL chief said he was disturbed by growing allegations of match-fixing and would want to set exemplary decisions where the league "finds evidence" of players of officials taking bungs to decided outcome of matches.

Lengthens opened an internal probe on Monday into their defeat at Callies Sports Club.

Jostein Mathuthu, who is now assisting Motor Action’s Hungarian coach, Postar Sandor, was until recently the Lengthens coach. He refused to comment on the swelling controversy around his team’s win over Lengthens, saying he was "concentrating on the next assignment".

Lengthens officials have said the focus of their internal probe into the match fixing claims is their “backline which was assembled by Jostein”.

Chikoshi said Monday: "The performance of our goalkeeper and the whole back line which was assembled by Jostein was dreadful. You can understand when you lose 0-2 or 1-3 against a good side. We all know that every dog has its day, but it's difficult to comprehend our defensive performance.

"You cannot rule out other forces being at play. We are sorry for the behaviour by some of our fans who vented their anger on team manager (Elliot) Mutizwa. We don't condone violence and remain football people.”

The PSL will also be looking at reports by the referee and the match commissioner over the crowd trouble, which could land Lengthens in the dock. The match was watched by ZIFA chairman, Wellington Nyatanga.

Angry fans raided the team's dressing room soon after the match, forcing players to flee to safety.

Nyatanga said: “I was watching the match and could only see players scaling the fence and we need to establish what happened, whether there were bees inside or it was something else.”

Team manager Ellliot Mutizwa, who pleaded with the fans to spare goalkeeper Ephraim Mazarura, was severely assaulted.

He reported the attack to Rhodesville Police.

Last season, Dynamos coach David Mandigora alleged match-fixing after his side lost to relegation-threatened Shooting Stars at Rufaro Stadium.

Dynamos collapsed to a 3-0 defeat, torching off scenes of violence that led to the abandonment of the match, later awarded to Shooting Stars. Stars survived relegation by virtue of that decision.

Stars owner Joel Sengeredo, coaches Gishon Ntini, Jostein Mathuthu and two players -- Heavens Chinyama and Muchineripi Muneri -- were later picked up by the Police CID Fraud Squad investigating the match fixing claims.

The charges could not be proved and the men were never prosecuted.

CBZ Premier Soccer League Table: 18/10/07

TEAM		Played	Won	Drew	Lost	G/F	G/A	Points
1	Dynamos	24	15	5	4	33	15	50
2	Highlanders	24	14	5	5	39	21	47
3	Masvingo United	24	12	6	6	28	19	42
4	Chapungu United	24	10	4	10	29	29	34
5	Lancashire Steel	24	9	7	8	29	31	34
6	Shooting Stars	24	9	6	9	32	30	33
7	Njube Sundowns	24	9	5	10	26	26	32
8	CAPS United	24	6	13	5	18	18	31
9	Eastern Lions	24	6	12	6	20	20	30
10	Lengthens	24	8	6	10	31	29	30
11	Monomotapa United	24	8	5	11	24	32	29
12	Hwange	24	7	7	10	23	28	28
13	CAPS FC	24	7	5	12	23	34	26
14	Mwana Africa	24	5	11	8	19	24	26
15	Motor Action	24	7	4	13	29	36	25
16	Black Rhinos	24	5	9	10	20	30	24

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