A statement from the Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Mashingaidze said the match has now been rescheduled for this coming Sunday adding that fans should hold onto the tickets they paid for the aborted match for use in the forthcoming game.
The Cameroonian officials, Aurelien Juenkou, Elvis Noupue, Fuanta Joseph Lambi and Christopher Nde were stranded in Nairobi, Kenya, after failing to get a connecting flight to Johannesburg and later Harare in tine for the game.
According to Mashingaidze efforts to have the match played within the 72 hours as stipulated by the international football body Fifa were unsuccessful as the Zambians were scheduled to leave soon after the game for a friendly match in France in preparations for their deciding 2014 World Cup qualifier against Ghana.
Mashingaidze said it was Zifa’s responsibility to pay for the referees airfares and revealed that the local football federation sent the air tickets in time but were surprised that the officials failed to turn up as scheduled on Saturday morning and even before the game leading to its cancellation.
This further delays the confirmation of southern Africa representatives for the 2014 African Nations Championship finals to be held in South Africa in January. Representatives from the other regions have already been confirmed.
The Confederation of African Football cannot entertain further delays as the southern African representative was supposed to have been decided way back in July but the qualifiers were postponed due to the Cosafa Castle Cup tournament.
Zimbabwe have qualified for the past two edition of the African Nations Championships in 2009 and 2011 but have not gone beyond the first round.
Post published in: Football