There has been a lot of uproar following revelations that the Football Association of Zambia, FAZ Executive Committee members shared a staggering K1.4 Million as allowances for hosting the CAF Under-20 African Cup of Nations and Cosafa Under-20 in 2017.
A ZamFoot Crew Report reveals that the named nine FAZ officials are entitled to those allowances.
Take for instance at the just ended FAZ AGM which saw Richard Kazala hounded out of the venue by security, none Lusaka based executive members went home with about K7, 000 just for two days.
For lodging, the ZamFoot Crew understands each member gets around K2, 000 while sitting allowance is pegged at K1,500.
So going to the CAF under-20, the amount each individual accumulated was for roughly 20-26 days.
Some of them were involved in more than two committees in addition to air tickets as they shifted base during between Lusaka and Ndola.
“No one expects a FAZ President or General Secretary to lodge at a Guest house, it has to be a five star hotel,” a ZamFoot Crew source said.
Entitlement v Morality
Much as it is their entitlement, the FAZ officials led by President Andrew Kamanga were naive to pay themselves whilst ordinary workers are yet to receive even a 10 Ngwee.
Firstly Patson Daka, Enock Mwepu, Fashion Sakala and Mangani Banda are yet to receive their winning bonuses despite helping Zambia to a first continenta title at Under-20 level.
What about allowances for the members of Match organising committee (MOCS), Stewards, Security etc.
Remember the Mascot; actually they were two, them too are yet to receive a coin except for the mineral water they drunk whilst the Dream Team was demolishing Mali 6-1 in front of the 50, 000 plus fans at Heroes Stadium.
There has been reports of bailiffs pouncing on Football House for failure to clear off debts.
By the way it’s not just Under-20, despite qualifying Zambia to CHAN tournament, FAZ failed to pay the agreed $400 per game as winning bonuses per player.
Zanaco, Zesco United or Buildcon pay their players around $400 for a win. Surely even ‘Ku Squad’ players should be getting that little.
So each player is owed $1,600 from the four matches they played in the CHAn qualifiers and do date, FAZ is yet to clear off the likes of Augustine Mulenga, Justin Shonga, Ernest Mbewe etc.
Though government pledged to handle the CHAN tournament in Morocco. Each player was entitled to $1, 500 for a win, and Ziyo Tembo and co were only paid for the win over Uganda.
The players are still owed for a win against Ivory Coast and draw against Namibia.
And hopefully, now that CHAN prize money has been disbursed, the money won’t go to officials hefty allowances before the players are sorted out.
There could be other issues not highlighted but it is against this background that FAZ is in the spotlight and rightly so, they have received a backlash.
Cash strapped but why a windfall
For the CAF Under-20 African Cup of Nations a ZamFoot Crew report indicates that allowances for the players and other support staff like MOC, mascots, Security etc were budgeted for by the government.
“The FAZ officials knew that government wasn’t going to include them in the budget for the tournament,” a source explained
“So it was agreed that their allowances was going to be taken care of by FAZ whilst government had a budget for the entire tournament including allowances for others.
Tuesday’s press briefing at Football House will be interesting as FAZ respond to the K1.4 Million windfall.
The greatest among us are servants. And maybe Kamanga should have waited for the servants to have gotten their monies from government before their windfall.
Very selfish executive, with no morals.How do you feed yourself, before children?.Even if a parent is intitled,to eat,it is morally wrong to eat on the expense of children and servants. Do Kamanga,ponga, and their friends have a conscious?.Very busy haunting others of football house as if they are cleaner and holier than others. It is sad that, our players Ave been playing while their allowances Ave not been paid.Then we expect our players to win? .They were saying kalu used to live a luxurious life, but what about you Kamanga and ponga?.If Denis liwewe,was around, he would Ave died of heart attack to hear that ponga is part of the sharing such kind of money. What a shame!!.Shame on you the AK executive and your cadres,who keep on supporting even when things are clearly wrong. If KAMANGA executive will not be humble to step down, then their Downfall will be embarrassing to them, embarrassing to Zambian football as well embarrassing to African football.
As am sharing to you, my fellow bloggers,my inside informat,in FAZ,says that, things at FAZ are worse than they used to be,They is no confidentiality, organisation,respect,trust and desire to work for Zambian football. What we are reading is a tip of the iceberg.Fingers are being pointed at Kamanga, ponga,and closest friends in FAZ, that they Ave been sacking the resources for the association, channeling them to their companies. Before coming to FAZ Kamanga s companies were running Bankruptcy, but after being a president of FAZ,they Ave all revived. It is also being said that ponga knows were other funds Were going, but not with FAZ intended purpose ,n:! .But outside FAZ arrangements. Ponga new about this even some Many months way back.It is a Situation even Ponga new what was happening. He is guilty of the miss management of FAZ resources.
Here are the questions
(1)can football be run in a such environment?
(2)can the coach have respect to his employers?
(3)can players put up their best?
The answer to these questions is no:Hence the executive must step down.
Earlier B4 That 1.4 Comes In, There Was A Budget Of The $1.5milion Sponsorship Deal In The Mtn/faz Super League. Faz Only Allocated 50% To The League, This Attracted Attension To Many Soccer Followers. In Todays Briefing Faz Should Also Tell Us Where They Allocated The Remaing 50%.
BAMUKUKULU! KAMANGA AND HIS EXECUTIVE SHOULD GO.
AK does not know anything about football administration.
1 : we used to have weekly updates from Football house-no more weekly updates only after a month or two.
2 : AK has even failed to get a proper jersy for our team- he brings a white and green colours. we have been wearing national colours but AK brings in white colour jersy which is not in our flag.
3 : AK gave wedison a 3 year contract without any probation because he does not undestand football.
4 : AK has brought looses to football house of over K25 M-in a one year this has nevet happened before.
5 : AK has paid himself abnormal alowances while some players are not paid for more than a year.
6 : AK claimed to bring more sonsors to football but in 2 years he has only brought FNB with a 700 000.
What a shame
This is really sad. I gave this admin an opportunity because they were duly elected.
From the beginning I was wondering how we can trust a man who was prepared to destroy Zambian football by building his own football body and league (reference King Solomon and the two mothers). Now it seems my fears and worries are being found to be true.
This is sad. It makes me miss Kalu. Even with Kalu’s issues and shortcomings, there was an effort to make the game better. The youth programmes that brought us the mighty U-20, the Zone 6 games, the league sponsorship. Also under Kalu, FAZ was not afraid to challenge government. Now we have people who when Lungu says keep Wadda, they simply jump instead of stand their ground.
This is trully a sad chapter in Zambian football. We need leaders, and I mean true leaders in the game. People with vision and administrative capacity.
I’m so appalled what kind of level pure greedy hyenas do we have runnning zambia football this is exactly the same hyena mindset happening in gov’t damn we are fucked economically and now in football ba chibwe na ba koswe.Kalu had vision without gov’t bank rolled support these hyenas have no clue but to chew up every dry bone . Mic down im out, where is john.?