Zimbabwe Banned From Hosting International Soccer Matches

(Bloomberg) -- The Confederation of African Football has banned Zimbabwe from hosting international matches because the country’s stadiums no longer meet the standards required by the continent’s governing soccer body or those of FIFA, the game’s international administrator.

The Zimbabwe Football Association will appeal the ruling, even though the stadiums have been sub-standard for “some time,” it said in an emailed statement Tuesday.

The southern African nation will negotiate with neighboring countries to hold international matches until the stadiums are upgraded, ZIFA added.

To contact the reporters on this story: Brian Latham in Harare at blatham@bloomberg.net;Godfrey Marawanyika in Harare at gmarawanyika@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alastair Reed at areed12@bloomberg.net, Hilton Shone

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