If the game is on Pay-TV channel, Supersport–the deserving man of the match player, goes home with a K500 airtime voucher courtesy of MTN; sometimes a GoTV decoder.
How about if there is TV blackout? No worries! Fans Association of various Zambia Super league clubs have come up with an idea of giving back to the players in form of man of the match and best player of the month accolades.
The fans, contributes a certain amount of money, given to the player who puts up a man of the of the match or player of the month performance.
For Zesco United, it is normally done on a monthly basis as the wages of a stellar performance by Zega players in a particular month is a great reward from fans.
The rationale has to be lauded, especially that there is a negative consensus that: fans are only good at being critics and catching feelings when results are not going their way, hence pressuring the Exco to dismiss coaches.
An opportunity to the fans, to demonstrate their important role as a cog to the development of league football in Zambia.
Kelvin Kawanda is the Chairman of the Buildcon Football Supporters club. His association has also adopted the rationale of giving back to the the players.
“We pay K1000 for a win only away or at home. We feel good as fans. We need to motivate our players in any way to achieve the most wanted results,” he said.
Cephas Mutambo, from the Zesco United Supporters Association explains how his club goes about it.
“In our case it is not man of the match instead it is a player of the month. We give them a trophy and a sum of money,” he said.
Mutambo reckons, when fans gives back to players in form of awards it motivates and makes them fell appreciated.
“As a fan or fans we feel good in the sense we are the major stakeholders in the game. This motivates the players and makes them fell appreciated by us fans,” he explained.
Indeed, fans in the Zambia Super league have proved that their role goes beyond just being the twelfth player by drumming like the “drumming pastor” [Makembo] and singing songs of praises to the team.
Ba FAZ must negotiate a new deal with mtn or even look for more sponsors of the league because teams are spending more money than they are taking home as winners of the league.The Barclays cup is even more lucrative than the MTN league.SOMETHING MUST BE DONE TO IMPROVE THE PRIZE MONEYS IN THE MTN SUPER LEAGUE.Teams cannot continue to play for peanuts.
Way to go soccer loving fans! Indeed this is commendable especially that most of the time us fans are viewed negatively when we voice out against some of the wrongs that we see going on be it on the field of play or at administration level. For once our positive voice has caught the attention of football administrators & all well meaning soccer lovers. Job well done to all supported clubs including my very own PDFF
*I meant job well done to all SUPPORTERS’ clubs & Fan clubs across the league