Kennedy Gondwe writes:
FAZ OWES CHIPOLOPOLO COACHES MORE THAN $75,000
Zambia this weekend plays Mozambique in the penultimate round of qualifying for the CHAN.
This match is crucial in building on the momentum of winning the Cosafa Cup and the resumption of the Africa Cup qualifying series in September. This is in addition the excitement that has engulfed the country in the aftermath of the women’s performance at the African Cup of Nations.
Worth taking note too is yesterday’s
announcement that Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) and Zambia Breweries have penned a K3 million third-tier sponsorship for the MTN Super League, according to a statement posted on the FA’s socials.
The statement goes on to highlight that in addition to joining leading telecommunication giant, MTN, in sponsoring the MTN Super League, Zambia Breweries have pumped-in K250,000 for the 2022 Charity Shield to be contested by Red Arrows and NAPSA Stars on 13 August, 2022.
This is commendable to FAZ and congratulations to the executive!
What’s not commendable and is embarrassing to them though are reports that the coaching staff were on return from Mozambique for their first CHAN leg evicted from their apartments because FAZ has failed to pay rentals.
Further, the association owes the senior men’s team coaches in excess of $75, 000 in unpaid salary arrears stretching up to three months! They have so far further failed to pay daily allowances for the Cosafa and CHAN.
The official line by FAZ is to probably deny what I have written, factual as it is, call us names via their useful idiots and go on a witch-hunt.
Yet, the right thing is to face up the coaches and pay them or at least their accommodation. All we want is Zambia to go to the CHAN and in order for that to happen, the coaches and players need to be happy and motivated. People want this FAZ to succeed.
Do the right thing FAZ. You have brought smiles on many of our faces and may that continue. But don’t expect some of us to sugarcoat the truth. Shame on you for treating the men’s team coaches in this manner.
Let’s not also forget that these same coaches were dropped at the airport enroute to South Africa where they brought us the 6th Cosafa title because of what FAZ reported as a visa glitch.
Some of us talk to the players in the current team and most of them are unanimous that the chemistry between the coaches and the players is so good and a catalyst for further positive results. That relationship needs further nurturing.
Disclaimer: To anyone who has read what I have written above, I am not responsible for how you interpret my opinion. Only you are.
Have a good one.