March 12 – No sooner has qualifying for the 2018 World Cup begun in various parts of the world than Zimbabwe have been thrown out for failing to pay former coach Jose Claudinei Georgini.
Before they have even kicked a ball, their chances of reaching the finals in Russia have been dashed after they failed to heed repeated warnings about meeting their responsibilities.
Brazilian Georgini, nicknamed Valinhos, managed the national team from January to November 2008. He has been owed money ever since and the Zimbabwe FA (Zifa) was first ordered by FIFA in 2012 to pay him.
Zimbabwe were given several deadlines and warnings but never apparently responded. That may be because the federation is in dire financial straits with debts reported to be in excess of $4 million.
Having never qualified for the World Cup finals, the sanction is a huge blow to a country already embroiled in a long-running matchfixing scandal. FIFA said it had taken the action “as a result of the non-payment of an outstanding debt”.
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