By MUKWIMA CHILALA
SOCCER administrator Nelly Miamba has called on FAZ to also extend its efforts in looking for sponsorship for the women’s national soccer team and newly introduced women’s league like has been done to the men’s.
The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) on Monday extended its partnership with MTN Zambia in which the telecommunication company will sponsor the senior men’s national team and the Super League at a cost of K43 million.
But Miamba, an advocate of women sport, has noted that women football has for a long time lagged behind in terms of sponsorship and investment into the sector.
She said that there was need for the sector to be given equal attention that the men were receiving especially that the women’s game had been reaping results not only in the region but at continental level.
Miamba noted that qualification to the Olympic Games in Japan has given Zambia an opportunity to become a super power and hence the need for FAZ to work on making the country a continental power house in women football.
“We need to take advantage of this period, our women team has reached its highest ever peak not only on the continent but globally. We are the only team that will be representing Africa at the Olympics so it doesn’t get any better than this,” Miamba said.
This is the right time that brands should be identifying themselves with women’s football. And this is also the right time for FAZ to woo as much investments as possible just like has been done to the men.
And Miamba said the Olympics will provide a platform for the women national team players and the country at large to market itself to the world.
