Tonights match in doubt between Egypt and Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabweans could protest the tournament's opening game over a pay row.
The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to commence today on Friday. However, the tournament's kick-off is now under heavy doubt due to a pay row between the Zimbabwe players and the federation.
The Warriors' showdown with hosts Egypt now faces uncertainty as the squad is yet to be paid. Members of the national team confirmed to the AP that a meeting had been held to resolve this matter but they failed at reaching an agreement.
The players boycotted the final training session before Friday's game and could extend their protest to the opening game should Zimbabwe fail to pay them their allowance for this tournament and match fees owed from last month.
The nation's football federation moved to calm down fears, stating that the Cairo encounter will not be boycotted. However, some players have asked to be released in order to return home.
The Cameroonians are at loggerheads with their FA over a similar reason, as the reigning champions refused to board their flight on Thursday over a pay dispute. The Indomitable Lions are expected to make their way to Egypt later today after an agreement was reached. They kick-off their title defense on Tuesday against Guinea-Bissau.
Should the Zimbabweans protest the opening game, it would be an embarrassment for AFCON, CAF, and the continent as a whole. Corruption continues to plague several football federations in Africa, including CAF, and a boycott would be another stain.
