Harare, October 06, 2010 - Zimbabwe immigration authorities have ordered the deportation of the new national coach Tom Saintfiet for working without a permit, state media reported on Wednesday.

Last month, Zimbabwe's football federation appointed the former Namibia coach with the Belgian's first task to prepare the team for an African Nations Cup qualifier against Cape Verde next weekend.

However, immigration authorities said Saintfiet needed to obtain a work permit before assuming his duties.

"We have ordered him to leave the country while his application for a work permit is being processed," Evans Siziba, a senior immigration official, told the state-controlled Herald newspaper.

Siziba said an application for Saintfiet's work permit was only lodged with the immigration authorities on Tuesday.

Saintfiet was served with his deportation papers during a training session with the team and was now likely to miss Sunday's match against Cape Verde, the newspaper reported.

Neither Saintfiet nor Zimbabwean officials were immediately available for comment on Wednesday. Reuters