By MICHAEL MIYOBA
WE are contemplating on restarting the league during the same period the German Bundesliga is expected to resume, Football Association of Zambia FAZ vice president Rix Mweemba has said.
Mweemba said in an interview FAZ is targeting to resume the Super Division by the end of the month so that the league can be concluded as soon as possible.
Mwemba said FAZ will ask the Ministry of Health for approval after the reply from CAF and FIFA who had earlier asked member federations to give recommendations on how they wish to conclude the local leagues during the Covid-19 pandemic period.
In a letter sent to the federations, CAF admitted the difficulties facing the football world and asked the associations to inform them on strategies implemented to ensure the leagues are finished.
Mweemba, who noted earlier that FAZ had submitted recommendations to both CAF and FIFA for the FAZ Super Division to be decided on the pitch reaffirmed the association’s commitment to heed to Government directives on contact sports which have been suspended to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Bundesliga is expected to start on May 21 and we are also targeting towards the end of this month, we should be able to be good to start.
“We are doing consultations, obviously we can’t do it on our own and we have divergent views but first we shall have a firmly and popular directive so that we end this league amicably.
“What we want to do is to harmonise the process so that even as we get approval from CAF and FIFA we are also informing the Ministry of Health so that they can give us guidelines,” Mweemba said.
“What we don’t want is that, we may get permission from CAF and FIFA but now if it contradicts with the laws of the land, we don’t want to be seen to be defiant all the time,” he said.
FAZ suspended the domestic league in March over fears around the coronavirus virus pandemic which has claimed the lives of four Zambians.
Nine rounds of matches remain for the league to be concluded. Ndola outfit Forest Rangers top the 18-team Super Division table with 46-points, a point ahead of second-placed NAPSA Stars while Green Eagles and Nkana FC are third and fourth with 44 and 43 points respectively.
Defending Champions Zesco United are fifth with 42 points while Nakambala Leopards, Mufulira Wanderers and Kabwe Youth Soccer Academy languish in the relegation Zone.
Football thrills
