Zimbabwe became the second nation to withdraw from Council for East and Central Africa Football Association (CECAFA) Senior Challenge Cup that kicks off on Sunday.
Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) announced today that the national team will not be taking part in the football that starts in Machakos.
Zimbabwe withdrawal follows Sudan’s withdrawal from the championships as ZIFA cited ‘security risk’ in the volatile in the country as the main reason for withdrawal.
“ZIFA reiterates its commitment to fulfill all future tournaments and matches, provided the environment does not in any way risk the safety of participating teams. The withdrawal from such a prestigious tournament is unfortunate for us, the team, the nation and the tournament organisers, but the association had to make the complex decision in the best interest of all involved,” the Zimbabwean association said in a statement.
Zimbabwe, alongside Libya were the two invited teams for the tournament and their withdrawal now leaves only nine teams in the competition.