HARARE – Zimbabwean football descended into a new farce on Tuesday after the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) announced it had suspended the ZIFA board let by Felton Kamambo, risking FIFA sanction.

The move came after Zimbabwe’s disastrous 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign in which the Warriors were winless in six Group G matches against Ghana, South Africa and Ethiopia.

The SRC said it took the decision “following several incidencies of gross incompetence on the part of ZIFA, such conduct and/or omissions being being contrary to the national interest.”

It cited seven instances of ZIFA failures, including failing to account for public funds provided during the last Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2019; sending teams outside the country without Covid-19 clearances from the SRC; alleged sexual harassment of female referees; failure to treat the women’s team equal to the men’s side; lack of development for junior football and a “looming constitutional crisis within ZIFA viz pending elections.”

Zimbabwe is due to take part in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations finals which get underway on January 9 in Cameroon, and the move by the SRC could threaten the country’s participation.

The SRC has previously suspended the Zimbabwe Cricket board, earning the country a ban from the International Cricket Council.

After failing to qualify, the Kenyan government also suspended the football federation there and arrested its president Nick Mwendwa, who was accused of embezzling funds.

The Kenyan government appointed a caretaker committee to run the affairs of Football Kenya Federation (FKF), but FIFA said it did not recognise the committee.

“All FIFA member associations, including the FKF, are statutorily required to manage their affairs independently and without undue influence of any third parties,” FIFA chief member association officer Kenny Jean-Marie wrote to the Kenyan government.

“Any failure to these obligations may lead to sanctions provided for in the FIFA Statutes, even if the third party influence was not the fault of the member association concerned.”

FIFA said the actions of the Kenyan cabinet secretary who announced the suspension of the board was “undoubtedly contrary to the above principles” and warned “it could lead to a ban imposed on the FKF by the competent FIFA body.”

FIFA suspended Chad from its competitions earlier this year citing government interference, after authorities established their own national committee to manage the football federation’s affairs. The suspension was only lifted in October after the government relented.

In Zimbabwe, some have questioned if the SRC, headed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son in law and lawyer Gerald Mlotshwa has the legal authority to suspend sports associations.

“FIFA aside, the Sports and Recreation Commission does not have a constitutional right of suspending an association,” lawyer Tendai Biti argued, writing on Twitter.

“A decent court ought to set aside this obvious illegality. National associations should be professional and neutral and not be captured or run by sons-in-laws.”