The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has formally engaged the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in a bid to resolve uncertainty surrounding Zambia’s second continental slot ahead of the 2026–27 season.
In a press statement issued on March 4, 2026, FAZ confirmed that it has written to CAF requesting a waiver on the requirement that the winner of a national cup competition represents the Member Association in the CAF Confederation Cup.
The association says the move is aimed at aligning Zambia’s domestic cup competition with CAF standards during what it describes as a transitional period.
Acting FAZ General Secretary Iva Lengwe revealed that the association had taken note of concerns raised by clubs regarding the timing and structure of the current cup format.
“We have listened to our clubs and we agree that the timing and format presents genuine challenges. As FAZ, we have responsibly engaged CAF to explain our situation and to ask that our context be taken into account,” said Lengwe.
Under CAF regulations, the winners of a recognized national cup competition qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup. However, FAZ argues that the present structure of the ABSA Cup does not yet meet the criteria of a fully inclusive national competition.
“In its present format, the ABSA competition does not yet achieve the breadth of participation or national inclusivity that would ordinarily characterise a fully open national cup. Participation is limited in scope at various tiers, and the structure does not consistently engage the entire football pyramid across all provinces and divisions,” Lengwe explained.
The engagement with CAF comes barely a week after former FAZ spokesperson Eric Mwanza publicly urged football authorities to consult the continental body following a controversial shift in Zambia’s qualification criteria.
Recently, the Zambia Premier League (ZPL) announced that winners of the ABSA Cup would secure Zambia’s slot in the CAF Confederation Cup for the 2026–27 campaign. The decision marked a departure from previous regulations where the MTN Super League runners-up earned the Confederation Cup berth.
Under the revised framework, cup success takes precedence. Should one club complete a domestic double by winning both the MTN Super League and the ABSA Cup in the 2025/26 season, the ABSA Cup runners-up would represent Zambia in the Confederation Cup.
FAZ maintains that its request to CAF is not an attempt to circumvent established rules but rather to ensure fairness and merit during the transitional phase.
“We are not seeking to undermine CAF rules but our goal is to ensure that the team representing Zambia does so on merit, competitiveness and fairness during this transitional period,” Lengwe added.
FAZ has assured stakeholders that members will be updated once CAF responds to the request, with the outcome likely to shape Zambia’s continental representation framework moving forward.
