The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
THE Warriors have been suspended from participating in the 2020 Cosafa Cup and will not be allowed back in the competition until the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) pays US$200 000 fine for withdrawing from hosting the 2019 edition.
The decision was made by the Philip Chiyangwa-led Cosafa in a letter written to ZIFA on Tuesday.
Zimbabwe pulled out of hosting the 2019 edition of the Cosafa Cup in February, citing inadequate time to organise the competition.
Zifa had accepted to host the tournament a month earlier but made a sensational U-turn after the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Kirsty Coventry, said it was not the right time for the country to stage the annual competition.
The 2019 Cosafa Cup was then moved to South Africa which hosted the competition between May 25 and June 8.
And now the Warriors, who have won this competition five times, are paying the price for that move as the regional football governing body has come down hard on Zifa.
“Zimbabwe Football Association is suspended from participating with its senior men’s national team in the 2020 edition of the Cosafa Cup.
“Payment in the amount of USD200 000 (Two hundred thousand United States dollars) must be paid to Cosafa by deadline August 15, 2019.
“Failure to effect the payment … 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,” read Cosafa’s letter signed by its general secretary, Sue Destombes.
