Zifa makes history

The blundering Zimbabwe Football Association yesterday made history by getting FIFA to boot Zimbabwe out of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers over a $60 000 debt the association owes to former Warriors coach Valinhos.

The embarrassing expulsion that comes at a time the association's debts saw the Astro turf that was installed at Rufaro Stadium being sold to a private school in Harare while the provincial headquarters in Bulawayo were up for auction over a $1,5 million debt but for a timely settlement plan struck between Zifa and CBZ lawyers, paint a gory picture of the sorry state of Zimbabwean football.

Valinhos, whose full name is José Claudinei Georgini, took his case to FIFA after trying without success since October 2008 to get ZIFA to pay him his outstanding salaries.

FIFA wrote to ZIFA on the matter on Wednesday and yesterday publicly announced that Zimbabwe had been expelled from the World Cup qualifiers after the association failed to pay the debt owed to Valinhos on time.