Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) acting president Gift Banda recently revealed that they have begun engaging FIFA and believe the world football body will lift sanctions on the country.

Zimbabwe was banned from international due to the government’s interference in running the game following the SRC’s suspension of the Felton Kamambo-led executive in November.

FIFA deemed the move illegal and in violation of its statutes.

The ZIFA Congress called for an Emergency General Meeting, where they voted out Kamambo and installed Banda as the acting president.

The SRC then announced the removal of the suspension on ZIFA and asked the board to inform FIFA about the development.

However, it has emerged that ZIFA might find it difficult or impossible to convince FIFA to lift the sanctions.

The world football body laid down terms for the EGM to happen, but the councillors took a different channel.

One of the conditions they ignored was the reinstatement of Kamambo and General Secretary Joseph Mamutse before the meeting.

The delegates only invited the pair to the EGM while the SRC’s suspension was still standing.

When the commission lifted the sanctions on board two months after the congress voted to replace Kamambo, the suspended boss and Mamutse remained under suspension.

A FIFA letter sent a week before the EGM, read: “We refer to the aforementioned EGM notice. As discussed in the past weeks, it is important that in the context of the aforementioned EGM, the ZIFA members and delegates understand fully the decision of the FIFA Council taken on 24 February 2022 (as attached hereto).

“Especially, they shall be reminded of the cumulative conditions imposed by FIFA Council in order for the ZIFA suspension to be lifted, including confirmation to FIFA that ZIFA and its management led by President Kamambo and GS Mamutse is back under their full and unconditional control.”