The 24-year-old Inter Miami FC Zambian-born defender Aime Mabika’s passport has not been issued despite the Minister of Youth, Art, and Sports, Elvis Nkandu announcing last week that he had been cleared to play for the Zambia national team.
On Tuesday, the minister said: “We wish to officially announce to the nation that the Government of the Republic of Zambia through the Ministry of home affairs and Internal Security has cleared and issued Amie Mabika with a Zambian Passport.
He went on to say: “We have since communicated to the Football Association of Zambia – FAZ via a phone call about the collection of Amie Mabika’s Zambian Passport tomorrow, Tuesday 7th March 2023.”
This was the minister’s third such announcement. However, FAZ told BolaNews that they were not given Mabika’s passport 24hrs later.
Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Andrew Kamanga has also stated that they are still waiting for the relevant ministries to issue Mabika’s passport, contrary to the minister’s latest statement.
“We are also keeping our fingers crossed as the government finalizes the naturalization process of USA-based Aime Mabika. It has been a long wait. Hopefully, the government through the Ministry of Home Affairs and their counterparts at sports and Foreign Affairs can wind down the process before the back-to-back matches,” Kamanga wrote in his weekly column dubbed, President’s corner on the Association’s official Facebook page.
BolaNews’ efforts to get a comment from the Minister of Sports proved futile by publication time.
Mabika’s ineligibility means he might not make Grant’s final squad
Meanwhile, Chipolopolo coach Avram Grant already started calling players for the March 23rd AFCON qualifier game against Lesotho.
It is now in doubt whether Mabika will be included, especially since he is still ineligible to play for Zambia.
Italy-based US Lecce winger Lameck Banda is one of the players that has already been called to the national team. His club made the announcement last month.
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Other players in Grant’s final squad for the Lesotho match have not yet been made public.
However, given the current state of affairs, it remains to be seen whether the US-based towering defender will be summoned.
