FAZ PRESIDENT’S CORNER: What a possible FIFA ban really means for Zambia
Welcome to this week’s football interaction to you our football family. It has been quite an eventful few days in our game that has seen our annual general meeting halted by a court order and also the football family reflect on the 31st Gabon disaster anniversary. Naturally the football family is still reeling from the after effects of the foiled AGM but we are hopeful that the football family will navigate its way out of this crisis. We have not just incurred unnecessary costs but also suffered the infamy of mixing politics with football management.
It may not be prudent to bore the football family with what may have been done right but we are working in the background to ensure that our game survives a possible ban from world soccer governing body FIFA. The world soccer governing body has more than provided guidance on the way out of our current crisis. FAZ has taken it upon itself to be fully compliant of all the possibilities that may ensure that Zambia averts a possible ban from FIFA. We have made it a point to be compliant with the laws of the land and also football laws.
Curiously, there are some stakeholders that are seemingly excited at the prospects of a possible ban. A few are not even domiciled in our country and can therefore not bear the brunt of a possible ban as they enjoy the glories of social media to fan the fire. Our duty remains to do our best to preserve the integrity of our game.
FIFA has routinely guided that football disputes can only be resolved through established channels within FAZ or FIFA statutes. It is a point we have belabored over the years to induct non-football persons with football interests to appreciate. However, we are mindful of the wishy-washy situations that overwhelm third parties that desire to take over the management of the game through the back door. Our position remains that we will be respectful of both national and FIFA rules in negotiating our way out of this crisis.
Everything we will do will be meant to ensure that our Copper Queens do not miss out on their hard earned Olympic Games participation, the Chipolopolo continue participation in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the under-17 girls remain in the thick of FIFA World Cup qualifiers. FIFA has more than made it clear that if Zambia remains adamant about this litigious path non-FAZ members have embraced, we will be sanctioned. Every well meaning Zambian knows that it would be scandalous for our teams to be barred from participating in international events at the instigation on non-members.
A FIFA ban would mean non-participation in the Olympics for our Copper Queens, Chipolopolo won’t take part in FIFA World Cup qualifiers, under-17 girls will forfeit qualifiers for the world cup with the women senior national team barred from participating in the WAFCON that they have already qualified for. We do not know of any sane Zambian that wishes such wretchedness for our great nation.
FIFA has given us up to April 30 to furnish them with all the information about the Zambian situation before they can make a decision. We are hopeful that we can find a solution long before FIFA has to intervene. As FAZ we have been in touch with all critical stakeholders to ensure that we quickly resolve this impasse. FIFA provided a sense of what we have to do to avert possible sanctions and from the FAZ end, we have been impressing on stakeholders to take heed.
Finally, we appeal to all soccer loving Zambians to remain calm as we navigate our way through this crisis. While the embarrassment of having a legitimately and legally sanctioned AGM will be with us for a long time, we have no doubt that common sense will eventually prevail.
Have a productive week!