BY MICHAEL MIYOBA
SO far all the Super Division teams and National Division One have received their allocation of the FIFA Covid-19 relief funds while the lower division clubs have also started receiving, FAZ president Andrew Kamanga has said.
The first batch of US$500, 000 of the US$1.5 billion meant to support the MAs through the FIFA Covid-19 Relief Plan and approved by the FIFA Congress has already been disbursed to the 211-member associations.
“The first batch of US$500, 000 has already been disbursed to the 211 FIFA member associations and on our part we have received this allocation and have proceeded to disburse it to our membership.
“We have been prompt in disbursing to our membership given the financial stress that the Covid-19 has caused in the game,” Kamanga said.
Kamanga cautioned clubs not to divert the funds to non-football expenditure.
He said any misuse of the funds will attract sanctions including the possibility of being excluded from the next cycle in January 2021.
Kamanga said FIFA places a high premium on transparency and accountability and the association expect that its members will apply the same levels of prudency.
Meanwhile Kamanga said the regulations governing the application of the FIFA statutes were amended to include new provisions relating to the exceptions to the general prohibition on changing associations and the access to national-team football for stateless players. On June 25, 2020, the FIFA Council recommended that the amendments to the regulations, as presented, be submitted to the FIFA Congress for approval, will enter into force immediately after the close of the 70th FIFA Congress. Various recommendations of the Football Stakeholders Committee through a technical working group were adopted by the Congress on September 18.
Kamanga said the changes approved by the FIFA Congress on Friday will open windows for some players outside Zambia who desire to don national colours.
He however noted that the guiding principle for players to feature for the national teams shall always be based on merit and the willingness for players to play for the national teams.
FIFA TONIC
