Magwizi Seeks Talks With CAF’s Motsepe Over Zimbabwe’s Closed-Doors Sanction
ZIFA president Nqobile Magwizi says he wants to meet CAF president Patrice Motsepe to discuss the sanction forcing Zimbabwe to play their home matches behind closed doors, following the death of a supporter at the National Sports Stadium during the Warriors’ AFCON 2027 Group E qualifier against DR Congo.
The fatal incident involved a ZRP vehicle and took place at Gate 2 at around 6:30pm, shortly after kick-off.
Taking the Conversation to Cape Verde
Magwizi told SABC Sport, on the sidelines of the CAF Strategy Conference in the Sal Islands, Cape Verde, that he plans to use the gathering to engage CAF directly on both the incident and the punishment that followed.
“As you may be aware, we are in consultation with CAF. I’m here, I’ve noted a chance to speak to President Motsepe and the GS. I will be speaking with them and, of course, when we meet tomorrow, I will give you a much clearer answer as to where we are,” he said.
“Our Security Plan Got Overwhelmed”
The ZIFA boss acknowledged that the opening home fixture exposed weaknesses in the stadium’s crowd management. “Yes, there was a challenge which took place in our first match. You can understand there was a lot of excitement and our security plan obviously got a bit overwhelmed,” he said.
He insisted those problems were addressed by the time the Warriors hosted Mauritius in their next home match. “Those things were corrected in the second match where we played Mauritius. These are the issues that I need to clear with the general secretary of CAF, as well as the president and, of course, the head of security, so that we can align and agree on the next steps that must be taken to strengthen our security plans and processes for Zimbabwe.”
What Happens Next?
For now, the Warriors’ faithful wait to see whether talks in Cape Verde can soften the sanction. Magwizi has promised a clearer update once the meetings take place, and Zimbabwean football will be watching closely to see whether CAF is satisfied that the security changes are enough.
