ZIFA will escape with just a $10 000 fine from world football governing body Fifa for failing to send the Mighty Warriors to Ivory Coast for an Olympic qualifier at the weekend.
BY HENRY MHARA
The Mighty Warriors were scheduled to play Ivory Coast in a 2016 Rio Olympics third round first leg match in Abidjan on Sunday, but the trip to the West African country was aborted on the 11th hour after the broke association failed to raise the $34 000 needed to travel.
While many were expecting that Zifa would come under severe punishment for their latest bungle, including a ban for Zimbabwe, according to the competition regulations, Zifa will get away with just a fine.
According to Fifa regulations for the Olympic Football tournament Games of the XXXI Olympiad Rio de Janeiro 2016, Section 7 Article 5 which deals with withdrawals of associations, its says that: “Any association that withdraws after the start of the preliminary competition shall be fined CHF10 000 (US$10 401).
Had Zifa withdrawn the Mighty Warriors participation 30 days before the start of the preliminary round, they were going to be fined $5 000 and $7 500 for withdrawing less than 30 days before the start of the qualifiers.
The rules and regulations also show that if a team refuses to play in the final competition, it shall be disqualified.
“7. Any association whose team withdraws up to 30 days before the start of the final competition shall be fined CHF 15 000.
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“8. Any association whose team withdraws less than 30 days before the start of the final competition shall be fined CHF 20 000.”
The fine is a new low for Zifa who are on the verge of expulsion from the 2018 soccer World Cup qualifiers for constantly missing deadlines to settle an unpaid debt to Brazilian coach Jose Claudinei Georgini, better known as Valinhos.
Zifa has apologised for the Mighty Warriors gaffe. “The Zimbabwe Football Association sincerely apologises to the football family and the nation at large for the senior women’s team, the Mighty Warriors’ failure to travel on time to fulfill an Olympic Games qualifier against Cote d’Ivoire scheduled for 19 July 2015,” the letter read.
“The team was set to leave on Friday evening, but due to logistical challenges which could not be rectified on time, the trip failed to materialise.
“We deeply regret the inconveniences such an unfortunate development has brought on the players, the technical team and every football loving Zimbabwean.
“As the supreme football governing body, we take full responsibility for the team’s failure to fulfill the important encounter, but we still appeal for external financial assistance with regards to organising international matches.
“We approached government, through the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture to assist but the government is also financially constrained hence they could not salvage the misfortune.
“When we affiliated to the competition, we submitted our budget to the Sports and Recreation Commission, but due to the harsh economic environment, even the government cannot afford to entirely bankroll football national teams’ assignments,” the letter of apology read.
