In a shocking decision, the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has withdrawn the Young Mighty Warriors from the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers. The team was initially set to face Ethiopia in the first round, with the first leg scheduled for this month.

According to the Ethiopian Football Federation, Zimbabwe’s withdrawal means Ethiopia will automatically advance to the next round. “Ethiopia were drawn to play Zimbabwe in the first round of Women’s Under 17 qualifiers. However, the matches have been canceled due to Zimbabwe withdrawing from the competition,” the statement read.

As a result, Ethiopia will now face the winner of the Egypt and Cameroon match in the next round. ZIFA has not disclosed the reason behind their decision to withdraw the team from the competition, leaving many questions unanswered.