The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) appears to be in severe financial distress as the body faces sanctions over debts and continues to struggle with an inability to meet up with recurrent expenses.  the

Zimbabwe FA currently owes debt totalling over $4 million, According to reports which appeared in the BBC. In order to assuage the financial pressure it currently struggles with, ZIFA have began auctioning assets to pay off debts. Interestingly, these assets are those from national training centre which was financed by world governing body, FIFA. Among the assets auctioned are an artificial pitch, and football equipment.

Confirming the news of financial distress, ZIFA spokesman Xolisani Gwesela described the situation as a reflection of Zimbabwe’s wider issues.

“We are in a financial quagmire, we are in trouble,” Gwesela said. “It’s a microcosm of what’s happening in the economy as a whole. The economic environment in the country is very tough, and we won’t make it without government and corporate support. But we appreciate the financial problems that government is experiencing, so we are looking to corporations and even individuals to assist.”

Just as it attempts to auction assets to generate funds, the FA is also keenly cutting costs forcing the national teams to improvise. Reports confirm that the national men’s team are now based at a police camp, just as the national women’s team are camped at an Harare training centre.

Amid the crisis, ZIFA are also faced with raising $600,000 to ensure that its team compete and participate at the All-Africa Games, scheduled to hold in September in Congo.

In a desperate attempt to rally public support, Gwesela described the national football teams as ” the collective responsibility of everyone” thus hoping that individuals and corporations come to the aid of the team.

The news will once again lead to debates around the ability of national football associations in Africa to sustain themselves as most continue to depend on governmental allocations for funds.