“ZIFA President seeks talks with CAF over Zimbabwe sanctions”
By Milton Marima
Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) President Nqobile Magwizi is seeking engagement with Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe over the sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe following incidents at the National Sports Stadium.
CAF has ordered Zimbabwe to play its next home international match behind closed doors after the Warriors’ 2–1 defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo on September 28. The decision followed a fatal incident at Gate 2, where a supporter died during a stampede, as well as a post-match pitch invasion.
The sanction is a major setback for Zimbabwe, which had only recently regained the right to host international matches at the refurbished National Sports Stadium after several years of playing home fixtures outside the country.
Magwizi is now looking to engage Motsepe in an effort to discuss the punishment and Zimbabwe’s security measures going forward. The ZIFA president already has an established working relationship with the CAF boss, having hosted Motsepe during CAF events in Zimbabwe earlier this year.
The sanctions are expected to affect Zimbabwe’s upcoming CAF-sanctioned home fixtures, with the Warriors’ next home international against Equatorial Guinea among the matches affected.
ZIFA will also be expected to strengthen its stadium safety and security measures to prevent a repeat of the incidents that led to the CAF action.
