Shalala Oliver Sepiso wrote;
ITS NEVER TOO LATE TO DO THE RIGHT THING… LET ORGANISERS HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND WORK WITH FAZ IN THE RIGHT WAY
After learning that the use of the Nike kit is illegal and it may lead to litigation, apparently they attempted to find out from FAZ, as late as yesterday, if the Kopa kit can be used for the legends game.
Anyway we all want the game to go ahead, we all want to see our Zambian legends playing, especially the Great Kalu our icon, but the right things have to be done and procedures followed.
I am not against charging at the gate. Or people making money. It’s a free world and a market economy. It’s up to the organisers to charge or not charge. But the right permissions should be gotten and the right channels and procedures followed.
How I wish the tax status of PBO was given to BuildCon and women’s teams in Zambia to allow them flourish not to a foreign entity to simple externalise funds after this event.
And since the organisers say that some of the proceeds will be used for community football, are those proceeds for teams playing madalas and social football.or these are in recognised leagues? How will the funds be handled and accounted for? Isn’t that now duplicating the mandate of FAZ who handle football development?
In the end, avoiding FAZ was not smart. Even the purported retired Janny Sikazwe is still a registered Match Commissioner under FAZ. And many of the 2012 legends are full-time coaches and still players for teams in the FAZ leagues who need FAZ or club permission to miss work and play this game.
Can role can FAZ play you ask? For once FAZ can guide on the use of the illegal Nike kit which is counterfeit from China. We have laws on counterfeit products and FAZ can guide to avoid litigation. If that is authentic kit, it would have come from Nike through FAZ not through Tunduma to private hands. If this is stock of old replicas it should have been in the hands of FAZ and proceeds should be going to FAZ. National team replicas and the brands thereof are FAZ property and someone holding or hoarding them amounts to theft. Further FAZ can ensure clearance of use of registered trademarks and copyrights during this game. When you look at the posters used for advertising this legends game, the images of Chris Katongo clearly have the FAZ logo prominently on his chest. That logo is a protected trademark and its use is under copyright. Did the organisers get FAZ clearance to use it? No. The law is being broken with impunity.