Football administrator Blackwell Siwale says it is better to have a government-aligned Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president than one who is always at loggerheads with the state.

Next Friday, football councillors will gather in Kabwe for the reconvened elective annual general meeting, where they are expected to elect a president, his vice, and a woman representative.

Incumbent president Andrew Kamanga faces three challengers: Emmanuel Munaile, Adrian Kashala, and Keith Mweemba. Meanwhile, the vice presidency is a two-horse race between Justin Mumba and Mutale Ngandu.

One of the presidential contenders, Keith Mweemba, has been accused of having close ties to the government—an allegation he recently denied in an interview on the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC).

However, Siwale, a former FAZ executive committee member, says there is nothing wrong with a government-aligned candidate, noting that the state is a key stakeholder in football.

“We cannot run away from a situation where the government of the day is a major stakeholder in football and therefore if anybody is said to be aligned with the government, I would be happy to vote for that person.

“This is so because things will be made easier in terms of communication and assistance once the association wants something from the government,” Siwale said.

The former Nchanga Rangers president added: “If anything I would promote an individual who is close to government than one who is not close to government fighting government every day.”

He made the remarks during an appearance on Phoenix FM’s Let the People Talk program.

On the same show, he urged that whoever wins the upcoming FAZ election should prioritize a constitutional overhaul of the FAZ statutes.

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