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NewsDay

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Fifa delegation heading for Zimbabwe

Sport
A Fifa financial team will be visiting Zimbabwe for the second time in as many months to assess Zifa’s debt which now stands at about $2,8 million. Zifa board member for finance Elliot Kasu confirmed the visit. “A second Fifa delegation will be visiting the country this month. They are aware of our situation and […]

A Fifa financial team will be visiting Zimbabwe for the second time in as many months to assess Zifa’s debt which now stands at about $2,8 million. Zifa board member for finance Elliot Kasu confirmed the visit.

“A second Fifa delegation will be visiting the country this month. They are aware of our situation and we want to sit down with them and find lasting solutions to eradicate our mounting debt,” said Kasu.

He said it was becoming difficult for Zifa to operate effectively due to the debt which continues to build up.

A Fifa financial consultant team visited the country in March to conduct investigations which would pave way for the release of a $2 million grant by the world football governing body.

Kasu said all stakeholders had to be involved in their bid to pay off the debt which has virtually crippled the association.

“For us to be able to function, we need all stakeholders to be involved with the national team. Zifa has limited revenue and cannot fully fund the national team. The government of Zimbabwe should be coming in to assist in financing the national team,” he said.

Kasu said initially when the Caf, Afcon and World Cup campaigns started, the Ministry of Education Sport, Arts and Culture indicated that they would assist with the expenses. He said the assumption was that the ministry would also support the Guinea and Mozambique matches after they had taken care of the Burundi match.

“We had assurances from the ministry that they would assist us in the matches and that was when we made arrangements with a hotel despite not having the money. At the last minute the government told us that they did not have the money to take care of our hotel bill and that is when the problem started,” he said.

Zifa president Cuthbert Dube had to place his house as collateral for the team to continue camp after the mother body had failed to secure funding.