FAZ councillors in crucial talks today

Sat, 04 Feb 2017 12:58:51 +0000

MORE than 400 Football Association of Zambia administrators convene today at Lusaka’s Government Complex to deliberate on pertinent football issues which include the reduction of the FAZ electoral college from the current 350 to 80.

FAZ deputy general secretary Lombe Mbalashi says all was set for the emergency council meeting and he was expecting a good turnout.

Mbalashi confirmed items on the agenda included the amendment of the constitution to reduce the electoral college from the current 350 voting delegates to about 70 or 80.

“Everything is in place for the emergency council meeting. There are several issues that will be deliberated on which include the FIFA directive to reduce the electoral college to around 80,” he said.

FIFA member associations’ manager Primo Carvaro asked FAZ to amend its constitution by September 30 last year or risk automatic suspension.

FAZ wrote to FIFA for more time and were given an extension to March this year to amend its constitution.

But many lower division clubs have not supported the reduction because of the fear that FAZ was plotting against them and stealing their voting rights at council meetings.

Division One, Two and Three clubs have over the years complained of being treated as a minority groups especially by Super Division sides. They have also cried for financial support from FAZ.

However, voting against the FIFA directive will foresee the suspension of FAZ, a risk the lower division clubs probably would not wish to put Zambia in.

Division Two side Matero Academy official Jarious Siame implored the councillors to be level headed and take the constitution amendments seriously as it shapes the future of football in Zambia.

“While we swallow the bitter pill of reducing the electoral college, we should retain the responsibility and mandate of deciding the composition and structure of the council,” Siame said.

Meanwhile, Mbalashi confirmed that the issue of the suspension of FAZ vice-president Richard Kazala and committee member Blackwell Siwale has been removed from the agenda as per directive by the National Sports Council of Zambia.

FAZ was expected to deliberate on the matter today but the NSCZ ordered that the item be removed from the agenda as it was still carrying out investigations, a move that has attracted mixed reactions from councillors.The increase of the Super Division teams from 18 to 20 is also an anticipated agenda item.