Zimbabwe drawn against South Africa, Morocco in 2023 Afcon qualifiers

Mehluli Sibanda. Senior Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWE have been drawn against neighbours South Africa, Morocco as well as Liberia in Group K of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

In the draw conducted in Johannesburg, South Africa on Tuesday, the Warriors, whose participation in the qualifiers is subject to a solution being found on the country’s suspension by Fifa were pitted against Bafana Bafana, World Cup bound Atlas Lions and Lone Stars. The top two teams will qualify for the 2023 Afcon in Ivory Coast.

Last week, the Confederation of African Football announced that Zimbabwe and Kenya, whose membership is suspended by Fifa for now will be included in the draw. The two countries can still play in the qualifiers due to start in June provided they can resolve their suspension by Fifa at least two weeks before the start of the qualifiers.

“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.

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