By Sports Reporter
Zimbabwe’s 22-year-old flirtation with the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa) could be over after the regional body announced it had banned the country from participating in next year’s edition of the tournament.
The regional body demanded that the football federation pays US$200 000 fine in order to take part in future events.
The ban applies only to the senior men’s team, who have won a record six Cosafa titles since the tournament’s inception in 1997.
Zimbabwe clashed with Cosafa after the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) reneged on its commitment to host this year’s edition of the annual regional event.
The Cosafa Cup was eventually hosted by South Africa, with Zambia emerging the winners after beating Botswana in the finals to bag their fifth title.
It is highly unlikely that the financially crippled Zifa would be able to pay the fine demanded by the regional body, which could signal an end to Zimbabwe’s participation in the tournament.
Cosafa communicated the news of Zimbabwe’s ban to Zifa yesterday through a letter by general secretary Sue Destombes.
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“The Zimbabwe Football Association was to have complied with the terms of the suspensive verdict by June 30, 2019 failing which the terms of the original verdict would be applied,” read the letter.
“You are hereby notified that due to the fact that the terms of the suspensive verdict have not been fulfilled, the terms of the original verdict dated April 25, 2019 are now applied these being as follows:
1. Zimbabwe Football Association is suspended from participating with its senior men’s national team in the 2020 edition of the Cosafa Cup;
2. Payment in the amount of US$200 000 (Two hundred thousand United States Dollars) must be paid to Cosafa by deadline August, 15 2019;
3. Failure to effect payment in terms of 2 above shall result in the suspension of Zimbabwe Football Association from participating in any and all Cosafa competitions until such time as payment of the fine has been met in full,” Cosafa further stated in the letter addressed to Zifa chief executive Joseph Mamutse.
