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Sources close to the goings on said the host country, Malawi probably failed to get government guarantees as per competition requirements.
The tournament was scheduled to start on 21 July to 4 August and all the 16 members of Cosafa were expected to take part.
Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze confirmed to Chronicle Sport last night that the annual tourney, meant for players plying in their countries’ domestic leagues has since been put on ice.
“Yes it’s true that the 2012 edition of Cosafa is now off, I spoke to the chief operations officer Sue Destombes who confirmed the development and said the tournament will be back next year in Malawi,” said Mashingaidze.
The Cosafa Senior Challenge was last hosted and won by Zimbabwe in 2010. The Warriors have won the cup a record four times since the inaugural tournament in 1997. With the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League way behind in their fixtures, the news of the cancellation will bring some sense of relief as the league will now run smoothly.
Meanwhile, the Warriors have been invited by Botswana to participate in a four-nation tournament from 16-17 July.
Although the identities of the other two countries are not yet known, the Zifa head of secretariat confirmed receiving the invite.
“The details are still sketchy for now. Hopefully we will get more clarity over the weekend but yes, we have been invited,” said Mashingaidze.
derick.khumalo