I have long searched for an African sports story that had nothing to do with AIDS or violent deaths, and it seems we’ve finally got a nice European-style soccer sex scandal in Zimbabwe, where the nation’s head of soccer, Henrietta Rushwaya (right), allegedly overruled a standing team policy of a pre-match curfew for the players so that she could bed star striker Benjani Mwaruwaru (left).  Zimbabwe was bounced from World Cup qualifying in the first round.

Rushwaya is reportedly in the habit of cowing the number one coach Jose Claudinei Valinhos into sanctioning the departure of some players from camp to moonlight in secluded night spots and even to have a brief encounter off the blankets with her.

“When [Mwaruwaru] comes home especially on a siesta from his overseas club, he camps at Rushwaya’s residence where they live literary [sic] like husband and wife… Rushwaya herself is known for being generous with her body and numerous scribes have had a go. She is a very kind boss whose generosity has won her friends especially in the media as most of her scandals are deliberately swept under the carpet,” said the source on condition of anonymity.

This is great.  I’m already a fan of women sleeping their way to the top, then continuing to sleep with people to stay on top, but this story especially warms my heart.  I love the way no one was killed by rampaging lions or flesh-eating bacteria.

[Unprofessional Foul]