Vusumuzi Dube
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
THERE is a glimmer of hope that the Zimbabwe Warriors could still be part of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers should a solution be found to the country’s suspension by the International Federation of Association (Fifa).
According to Draw Procedures of the Qualifiers of the 34th Edition of Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023 released by the Confederation of African Football, Zimbabwe and Kenya are included in the draw to be conducted in Johannesburg, South Africa on Tuesday 19 April.
Caf however stated that, the suspension of Zimbabwe and Kenya has to have been lifted two weeks prior to the start of the qualifiers, failure to that, the two countries will be considered as losers and will be removed from the competition with their respective groups being reduced to three.
“Reference to the suspension of Kenya and Zimbabwe by FIFA from all football activities, in case the suspension is not lifted two (2) weeks before their first match day of the qualifiers; both associations will be considered as losers and eliminated from the competition. Consequently, their groups will be composed of 3 teams. The first and runner-up teams of those groups will qualify to the final tournament,’’ read the note from Caf.
Furthermore, Zimbabwe and Kenya cannot be in the same group so as to avoid a scenario where there is a group with just two teams.
“Consequently, the two teams (Kenya and Zimbabwe) cannot be drawn in the same group in order to avoid having one group with only two teams in case the suspension on both associations is not lifted,’’ concluded the note from Caf.
Zimbabwe are in pot three while Kenya are on pot 2 for the draw.
In February, the Fifa Council suspended Zimbabwe’s membership after the world football governing body deemed the action taken by the Sports and Recreation Commission in November last year to suspend the Zimbabwe Football Association board as third-party interference in the internal affairs of Zifa, which is outlawed in the Fifa statutes. Zimbabwe’s suspension was confirmed by the Fifa Congress in Qatar last month.
Fifa gave conditions for the lifting of the suspension. The world football governing body wants the SRC to lift the suspension of the Felton Kamambo led Zifa board together with that of the association’s head of secretariat, Joseph Mamutse. Written confirmation by the Kamambo board that they are in control of the Zifa premises unconditionally is needed by Fifa as part of the conditions for the lifting of the suspension. Furthermore, Fifa wants the SRC to withdraw its criminal case against Kamambo and three other Zifa executive committee members and also reverse the appointment of the restructuring committee. -@Mdawini_29
Bongani Ndlovu