Following the Football Association of Zambia’s (FAZ) current political conflicts with some of its stakeholders, which prompted FIFA to issue a warning of a possible suspension for third-party interference in the game’s operation, Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema has intervened to ensure the country is not banned.
The President has directed Minister of Sports Elvis Nkandu to ensure that FAZ and its aggrieved parties engage in non-judicial dialogue to resolve the issues that prompted FIFA to warn Zambia of a ban.
Prior to last month’s FAZ ordinary annual general meeting (AGM) in Lusaka, football administrator Damiano Mutale got a court injunction from the Ndola High Court, which halted the AGM after accusing FAZ president Andrew Kamanga of changing the association’s constitution.
In response to a FAZ complaint letter, FIFA Member Associations Officer Kenny Jean-Marie advised FAZ to proceed with the AGM or risk suspension.
“Please note that the order of the High Court of Zambia dated April 24, 2024, appears to clearly amount to undue influence by third parties, which could be considered a violation of Article 19 paragraph 1 of the FIFA Statutes and Article 7 paragraph 1.g. of the CAF Statutes.
“For the avoidance of doubt, please note that the infringement of the aforementioned provisions of the FIFA and CAF Statutes may give rise to grounds for the suspension of FAZ, irrespective of whether the infringement was attributed to FAZ or not,” Jean-Marie said.
Many stakeholders were disturbed by the warning, which threatened the Copper Queens’ participation in this year’s Paris Olympics.
‘We should not wait for FIFA to resolve our problems’ – HH
However, speaking after Sunday’s ABSA Cup final at Lusaka’s National Heroes Stadium, President Hichilema disclosed that he asked the minister of sport to ensure that dialogue between FAZ and the aggrieved parties occurs before proceeding to court.
“I have asked the minister to engage all the parties and in my view, an amicable resolution is a true resolution,” the head of state said. “Courts may decide one way or another but the heavy-heartedness stays. I am a promoter of dialogue and amicable resolutions.”
Hichilema continued: “We should not wait for FIFA to resolve our problems. Look at these multitudes; this is what sports is; this is what football is; it’s like a religion here, so let’s promote our sports: unity through sports, unity through dialogue, unity through tolerance, and unity through reasoning. When people fight too much, it means they are refusing to reason with each other.”
Meanwhile, the Ndola High Court on Thursday last week granted FAZ and Mutale permission to resolve the matter outside of court after both parties consented to conclude their issues at a round table.
FIFA has yet to comment following the latest development after issuing a warning of a possible ban on Zambia.
