ZIFA caught out in Challenge Cup lie

ZIFA caught out in Challenge Cup lie

THE local football governing body has been caught out with regards to the cancelled friendly match against Zambia after the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) released a contradictory statement to theirs.

The Zimbabwe National Football team was scheduled to play an international friendly match against the Chipolopolo of Zambia dubbed the Christmas Challenge Cup at the National Sports Stadium on 23 December.

However, we were then advised by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) through their official website that the match could not go on because the National Sports Stadium was booked for a wedding on the same date. Seeing as how this was a rather bizarre reason, this raised suspicions as to what was really the story behind the cancellation.

The plot, it seems, has rather thickened as of late with Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) releasing a statement that contradicts ZIFA via its official Facebook page.

According to a statement posted on FAZ’s Facebook page, the decision to cancel the international friendly was made after ZIFA were unable to host the match after having been informed by FIFA that the game would not be accorded international friendly status.

This apparent lack of honesty by ZIFA is becoming somewhat of a trend for the football association after they cancelled the warriors participation in the CECAFA tournament due to some unclear reasons.

Asked on why the match was cancelled, the ZIFA president Phillip Chiyangwa was evasive and told this reporter that he doesn’t run the association alone hence should other officials.

“I don’t run everything at ZIFA. There is Acting President and Chairperson for Competitions, Mr Gore. Call them,”he responded.

Hence, after this latest gaffe, the football body would be better served using the upcoming Christmas holiday period to practice a little honesty and curb this habit that they are developing of feeding the nation with false information. – sportbrief.co.zw