Football lovers and Harambee Stars fans woke up to shocking news of investigation on match fixing allegations against a former defender George Owino Audi. Owino is alleged to have pocketed millions of shillings to lose Harambee Stars matches.
Nation reports that FIFA as already launched investigation in the matter. The defender is said to have breached the world football governing body’s regulations between 2009 and 2011. Acdording to the FIFA’s report which was released in September last year, Owino communicated via email with an international match fixer, Wilson Raj Perumal, with whom they conspired to influence and manipulate results of matches involving Kenya.
Former Mathare United and Harambee Stars defender George Owino under investigation by FIFA for allegedly fixing Stars' matches between 2009 and 2011. Disturbing. #TheScoreKE pic.twitter.com/iuoAiYtllS
— Carol Radull (@CarolRadull) February 5, 2019
The report also indicates that several other Harambee Stars players might be involved.
FIFA presented emails and information of 14 matches in it’s evidence which it shared with the Football Kenya Federation (FKF). In one of the email correspondence between Owino and Perumal, the defender was required to ensure that Harambee Stars lost by a margin of 3-0 against Tunisia but appeared to have not followed the instructions. The email was also addressed to other players, Pascal and Julius.
“Note that if you lose by 1-0 to Tunisia you will end up with nothing. I want a 3-0 score line. I expect the score to be 2-0 in a normal game, but with your assistance I can get a 3-0 scoreline,” reads an excerpt from the emails. “I want you to put a good fight for 25 minutes and concede one goal in first half from 30-45 minutes, another at the 65th minute, and the third in the 80th,” Perumal instructed.
Owino has, however, denied knowing about the allegations and investigation according to Nation Sports. “Let’s wait for Fifa to call me over the same then I can speak. For now I do not know anything. I am hearing it from you for the first time,” he told Nation Sports.