Hunt on for Zimbabwe footballers

The teams had been playing each other in Bradford

Immigration officials are trying to track down eight top Zimbabwean footballers and two officials who disappeared after a tour of the UK.

Six players and two officials from league champions CAPS United and two players from Highlanders FC went missing just before their flight home.

They were meant to leave Heathrow on Thursday after a match in Bradford.

The Home Office said steps were being taken to deal with those who had breached their visas.

A Home Office spokesman said: "Irrespective of their nationality, if a person without a lawful right to remain in the UK absconds, then the Immigration Service will as soon as possible take necessary action to identify, locate and remove them."

'Big blow'

The two teams played each other at the Bradford Bulls' Odsal Stadium last Saturday, in a game organised by the Zimbabwean Football Association.

The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) said it feared some players and officials "did not return".

It is a pity that these players might have decided to destroy their careers by pursuing a new life in England Farai Jere manager of CAPS United

Farai Jere, team manager of CAPS United, who led the Zimbabwe Premiership table, told the Herald newspaper in Zimbabwe: "It is quite a big blow for us as a club to lose such a huge number of players at once.

"It is a pity that these players might have decided to destroy their careers by pursuing a new life in England, but it is not the end of the road."

CAPS United owner Twine Phiri told the newspaper: "It's true that some of our players, for reasons that I don't know right now, decided to stay behind in England despite giving us assurances that they would join the rest of the team at Heathrow on the way back home.

"I don't want to say much at this moment over this disturbing issue because we are getting a lot of mixed signals about what may have happened."