Yes, Zimbabwe U17 was disqualified from COSAFA tourney, but this widely circulated pic is not of the team - ZimFact
Ngoni Mhuruyengwe
November 22, 2020
On November 20, Zimbabwe’s Under 17 men’s team was disqualified from the 2020 COSAFA Men’s Under-17 Championships for including an over-aged player in the tournament.
The picture below was used by news outlet, NewsHawks, and others, as purporting to show the team.
Comments on the picture included users mocking the players in the picture for age-cheating.
One person commented on Twitter: “This is a joke really. Look at the 3rd from right with a whole beard.”
However, this is not a picture of the disqualified team.
A reverse image search shows that this is, in fact, a social team of Zimbabweans based in the United Kingdom. The picture was taken in 2019, when the team, called Team Zimbabwe UK, won a tournament against similar teams made up of other African players also based in the United Kingdom.
Team Zimbabwe UK is not an official Zimbabwean national team.
The jerseys worn by Team Zimbabwe UK in the picture bear a sponsorship logo. National teams do not bear sponsorship logos on their shirts.
The picture below, supplied by COSAFA, shows the real Zimbabwe Under 17 side before the team’s opening game against Angola on November 19.
Conclusion
While Zimbabwe’s Under 17 national football team was indeed disqualified from the 2020 COSAFA tournament, the picture circulating widely is not of the team, as suggested by media and social media users. The picture is from 2019 and is of a team made up of Zimbabweans in the UK.
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