BY HENRY MHARA
ZIFA has been banned by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) from using the National Sports Stadium for two matches as punishment for the stampede that occurred before the Warriors’ final Africa Cup of Nations qualifier match against Congo Brazzaville in March.
A female soccer fan died and others were seriously injured as people jostled to find their way into the stadium.
Zifa revealed the punishment in a statement yesterday.
“The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Disciplinary Board, in terms of Caf Statutes & Regulations and Articles 82, 83.1 & 151 of the Caf Disciplinary Code, has resolved to ban our national teams from using the National Sports Stadium for the next two Caf- sanctioned matches. The sanction arises from the crowd trouble which transpired at the National Sports Stadium on March 24, 2019 prior to the match between Zimbabwe and Congo. One match from the sanction is suspended in the event that a similar incident does not occur at our matches in the next 12 months. The next national team match under the auspices of Caf will be played at another homologated stadium,” read the statement.
With the Warriors not playing at home until later in the year, it is the national Under-23 men’s team, who are likely to be affected by the ban.
The Young Warriors play South Africa in an Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in September, and that match will likely be played at Rufaro Stadium or Barbourfields in Bulawayo.
