HARARE – World football governing body FIFA has re-asserted that the ban on Zimbabwe will only be lifted when ZIFA president Felton Kamambo and his executive are restored in office.
The Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), which suspended the ZIFA executive in November leading to Zimbabwe’s ban from all international football, has sponsored an extraordinary general meeting of ZIFA councillors on Saturday where it hopes to install a new executive.
FIFA, however, says it will not recognise such an executive.
“As discussed in the past weeks, it is important that in the context of the aforementioned EGM, the ZIFA members and delegates understand fully the decision of the FIFA Council taken on February 24, 2022,” FIFA said on Thursday.
“Especially, they shall be reminded of the cumulative conditions imposed by FIFA Council in order for the ZIFA suspension to be lifted, including ‘confirmation to FIFA that ZIFA and its management led by president Felton Kamambo and general secretary Joseph Mamutse is back under their full and unconditional control’.”
Zimbabwe was included in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers draw last week, but the Confederation of African Football has given the SRC until May 15 to lift the suspension on Kamambo and his executive, failing which Zimbabwe will be excluded.
The Warriors are due to play South Africa, Morocco and Liberia in their group with the first round of fixtures set to get underway at the end of May.
The SRC, chaired by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son-in-law Gerald Mlotshwa, listed a string of charges against Kamambo and his executive including corruption charges but without a conviction FIFA was not persuaded about the motivations for the suspension.
