FIFA fines Zimbabwe for missing women’s Olympic qualifier

Zurich (AP) — FIFA has fined Zimbabwe and awarded Ivory Coast a 3-0 win after the Zimbabweans failed to show up for a women’s Olympic qualifying game.

Zimbabwe withdrew before the second leg, which was meant to be played this weekend.

FIFA fined the Zimbabwe Football Association 10,000 Swiss francs (US$10,400) Wednesday for missing the first leg on July 19. ZIFA couldn’t raise the money to send the women’s under-23 team to Ivory Coast.

Zimbabwe’s soccer body is in deep financial trouble, with the senior men’s team already thrown out of 2018 World Cup qualifying because ZIFA couldn’t pay outstanding wages to a former coach.

The men’s under-20 team was banned for three years for missing an African qualifier in Angola in 2012, also because it couldn’t afford to travel.