Zimbabwe’s football governing body, Zifa, looks set to appeal the Zimbabwe national football team’s exclusion from the 2018 World Cup over its debt to former coach Jose Claudinei Georgini.
World governing body FIFA said in a statement it had taken the action “as a result of the non-payment of an outstanding debt”, adding that Zimbabwe’s Football Association (Zifa) failed to make the payments despite a grace period.
Zifa is in dire financial trouble, with debts of more than US$4m (£2.7m), and was recently forced to auction assets from its FIFA-financed training centre to settle a legal dispute with a former employee.
The financial problems date back a long way and when Georgini, nicknamed Valinhos, was appointed in 2008 it was announced that the Brazilian’s salary would be paid by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority as part of a 2010 World Cup memorandum of understanding between the tourism body and Zifa.
It is understood that Valinhos is owed $67,000 (£45,000) in salary and allowances from his spell as coach between January and November 2008.
Zifa CEO Jonathan Mashingaidze told reporters: “We’ve been liaising with FIFA and asking for a payment plan. We assume full responsibility of the debt, but the queue is pretty long.
“There are also former national team coaches Tom Saintfiet and Sunday Chidzambwa, and we owe money to banks.”
Zimbabwe’s expulsion may not be such a harsh punishment, since they have never qualified for a World Cup finals and could potentially earn money for Zifa by playing friendlies against nations that will be competing for a place.
