Andrew Kamanga, president of the Football Association of Zambia, has advised Zambian clubs to refrain from traveling at night in order to reduce the country’s rising number of road traffic accidents.
Kamanga has expressed sorrow over the deaths of five players and one coach in separate fatal road traffic accidents on Saturday morning involving teams from the men’s and women’s leagues.
On Saturday morning, a bus carrying Solwezi Queens Academy FC team was involved in a road traffic accident along the Serenje-Mpika road as the team was on its way to Mpika for a week four match against the Mpika Doves.
The accident killed five people (four players and a coach), and another accident involving a Zesco Shockers team bus killed one person, Kabika Kabika, as the team was traveling to Mwandi district for a week 12 fixture.
In light of the two unfortunate occurrences, Kamanga said, “In the midst of this tragedy, we wish to implore our teams to avoid traveling at night for matches to avoid possible calamities.”
“We will work with law enforcement agencies like the Road Safety and Transport Agency and the Zambia Police to ensure that there is compliance among our teams.” “We are mindful of the challenges teams go through, but it should never push us to compromise the safety of our players and coaches,” said the FAZ boss.
He also stated that the survivors of the Mpika accident had been discharged from Mkushi District Hospital and had arrived safely in Solwezi.
