Fatau Dauda: I left Enyimba because they were fixing matches
Ghana goalkeeper Fatau Dauda has shockingly revealed that he left Nigerian club Enyimba because they were constantly fixing matches.
Ghana goalkeeper Fatau Dauda has shockingly revealed that he left Nigerian club Enyimba because they were constantly fixing matches.
The veteran goalkeeper was on the books of the club for three years after joining them in 2016 from Ashanti Gold.
Dauda parted ways with the club in 2019 and has now disclosed that his decision to leave the two-time CAF Champions League winners was due to match-fixing.
“There’s one particular reason why I finally decided to leave Enyimba FC. It’s all because of betting. Betting can completely destroy football,” he said on Angel TV, as quoted by Ghana Guardian.
“You know Nigeria is a big country. Sometimes, we can be on the road for two days traveling for an away game. We will go and lose a game but when we come on the bus, you’ll see some players happy.”
He added: “You’ll see some players pressing their phones, checking score lines of other league games. I later got to find out from one of our guys that some of the players in the team were betting on our matches.
“They were fixing the games. It was shocking. It was the reason I decided to leave because I can’t be part of this and it was a waste of time playing in games when some people have already planned the outcome.”
Meanwhile, allegations of match-fixing have been rampant in the Ghana Premier League this season following a series of controversial refereeing decisions.
In a recent interview, a Board member of Hearts of Oak, Alhaji Akanbi, alleged that some betting syndicates were destroying the local game.
Last season, suspicions were raised following a high-scoring matchday 34 clash between Ashanti Gold and Inter Allies in the Ghana Premier League.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has said severe punishments will be dished out to footballers or club officials who are found guilty of engaging in match manipulation or betting.
The sanctions to be meted out include a hefty GHc5,000 fine and at least a one-year ban slapped on the culprits.
This was agreed upon following a meeting by the Executive Council of the GFA, where measures to curb match-fixing were discussed.
