By MICHAEL MIYOBA
WARRING football administrators have agreed to hold an emergency annual general meeting to discuss their differences, Minister of Sports Youth and Child Development Emmanuel Mulenga has said.
Speaking during a press briefing held yesterday at his office, Mulenga said the warring parties met during a meeting organised by the National Sports Council (NSCZ) on Wednesday at which they agreed to have an emergency meeting to resolve the wrangles.
Mulenga said the meeting will involve aggrieved sports administrators who have taken FAZ to court, NSC officials, the Ministry of Sports, FAZ and will be chaired by an official from FIFA.
Mulenga said the outcome of the emergency meeting will be final and those who will not comply with its resolutions risk being sanctioned by the government.
Mulenga said Government does not want the country to be banned because of a few individuals. When the country is banned by FIFA, it is the players who will suffer.
Meanwhile, Mulenga said individuals who have taken FAZ to court over several issues have agreed to withdraw the pending court cases in the spirit of promoting reconciliation.
“Because there is an elective meeting coming it is important that they hold an emergency general meeting before the elections are held and in the interest of reconciliation.
“Because my office is concerned about reconciliation, it was agreed that all the court cases should be dropped so that the differences can be ironed out at the emergency meeting,” Mulenga said.
Meanwhile Mulenga denied social media allegations accusing him of sponsoring banned football administrator Damiano Mutale, former FAZ boss Kalusha Bwalya and Patson Lusaka to cause confusion at FAZ.
He said the government has no preferred candidate for the FAZ presidency as it is interested in taking football forward rather than saving the interests of Kamanga or Kalusha.
Mulenga was on Tuesday given a four-day ultimatum by banned Bwalya, Lusaka and Mutale to dissolve the FAZ executive committee led by Kamanga.
The three argued that Kamanga’s stay in office is illegal because his mandate ended on March 19, and therefore the general secretary was obliged to take over the running of FAZ until elections are held.
FAZ truce
