adminPetros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
ZIFA were by last night still anxiously awaiting feedback from the Botswana government to confirm whether Zimbabwe’s neighbours had agreed to go into bed with them and launch a bid to co-host the 2017 African Cup of Nations.
Both countries have made it clear they favour submitting a joint a bid rather than going it alone in their efforts to entice the Confederation of African Football to grant them the rights to stage the event that was originally pencilled in for Libya.
Civil strife in the North African country has for the second time meant Libya are unable to host the Nations Cup tournament.
Zifa, who are working with the Ministries of Sport, Arts and Culture and that of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, on Wednesday dispatched a team led by the association’s chief executive, Jonathan Mashingaidze, to Gaborone for further discussions with their Botswana Football Association counterparts.
Mashingaidze confirmed the meeting with the BFA but said while accepting to go into bed with Zimbabwe, the Botswana football authorities had indicated that they would now seek their government’s permission on the proposed move.
A government guarantee to underwrite the games is a CAF prerequisite which all nations bidding to host the competition should abide by.
Zifa, on their part, had managed to secure the Government’s guarantee that was signed by President Mugabe.
Although there had been no feedback yet from Botswana by late yesterday, Mashingaidze said their discussions at association on level had centred on the role that each country was looking at playing in the joint bid.
“Essentially, we are looking at complementary bids, whereby we indicate what we can offer in terms of facilities and Botswana do likewise and that the tournament would be spread in two cities each in the two countries.
“We are also looking at it from a Cosafa perspective that this is not just a bid for Zimbabwe or Botswana but that for the Southern African region,’’ Mashingaidze said.
But it is the assent of the Botswana government to go into bed with Zimbabwe which Zifa were still awaiting by last night as both countries also appeared to be racing against time to ensure all the finer details pertaining to their move to jointly host the tournament were in place.
Zifa are also drawing their confidence of teaming up with Botswana on the basis of a letter they had earlier received from the BFA on the proposal to launch a joint bid.
In a letter to Zifa, BFA chief executive officer Keith Masters wrote
“We are delighted that the Zifa would consider the Botswana Football Association (BFA) as a partner and our country as worthy co-hosts.
“Our federation has been exploring the possibility of a bid to co-host the AFCON 2017 finals since the call for applications was made by the Caf general secretary, and we, too, were considering an invitation to Zimbabwe.
“We must, of course, obtain full government backing and we are in the process of seeking undertakings and guarantees from the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture.
“I noted from our conversation earlier that you already have the backing and support of your respective Government.’’
Both countries have until Tuesday to submit their bids but effectively they have until the weekend to put their house in order as the men whom they will task with submitting the bids would need to travel and be in Cairo, Egypt, in time for the Tuesday deadline.
With Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Andrew Lang already having stressed that Zimbabwe’s best hopes are on co-hosting, the Zifa bid document would lack the necessary weight to stave off the challenges of other countries should they fail to secure the partnership they are seeking from Botswana.
A joint bid would also ensure Zimbabwe would have to look for at least US$100 million in order to spruce up facilities and stage the event, a figure the soccer mother body believe Government would not have serious problems availing.
But Zimbabwe’s competitors in the bidding race will become clearer by late Monday as the nations seek to avoid a last-minute rush to submit their bids.
Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania have also mulled submitting joint bids to try and bring the tournament to East Africa while the trio of previous hosts Ghana, Sudan, Algeria and Egypt are understood to be also in the running.
Ghana confirmed submitting a bid to host the before the deadline.
Having made their intention to host the event public three weeks ago, the Ghana Sports Ministry proceeded to work on putting a bid team together.
Online Reporter