Kisho Yano of Japan watches on as he joins the Zimbabwe defensive wall during a practice match. Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
Zimbabwe have been expelled from the 2018 World Cup qualifying competition for failing to pay a former coach, soccer's governing body FIFA said on Thursday.
"The expulsion comes as a result of the non-payment of an outstanding debt by ZIFA (the Zimbabwe Football Federation) to the coach Jose Claudinei Georgini following a decision passed on 15 August 2012 by the... FIFA Players' Status Committee," FIFA said in a statement.
