The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) have finally had their say on the highly anticipated exhibition match between the Chipolopolo legends and FC Barcelona Legends.
The Zambian football legends will take on former players of Spanish giants FC Barcelona on 25th May at the National Heroes Stadium.
This follows the organisers, Kings of Africa paying a courtesy call on the FAZ Acting General Secretary, Iva Lengwe.
“The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) wishes to inform its membership and stakeholders that the organisers of the May 25, 2023, match involving legends from the 2012 Africa Cup squad and Barcelona finally visited Football House.
Kings of Africa who are the organisers of the match paid a courtesy on FAZ acting General Secretary Iva Lengwe on Thursday afternoon.”
During an impromptu courtesy call by Kings of Africa, FAZ acting General Secretary Iva Lengwe sought clarity from the organisers of the match on some lingering matters.
“Kings of Africa management paid a courtesy call on FAZ, and the FAZ management took the liberty to guide them on some areas concerning the organisation of matches world over. FAZ guided the organisers that they could not legally use the Nike jersey for the game as it would constitute an illegality,” Lengwe said.
“Following the termination of the contract by Nike with Zambia in August 2014 it remains illegal for any Zambian team to don the Nike jersey for any match. Donning the Nike jersey with a FAZ logo would attract sanctions from Nike that would be directed at FAZ.”
He adds; “It would also be illegal for anyone to sale such a jersey to the public as it is a violation of the law. All goods bearing the FAZ logo are a preserve of FAZ as the FAZ logo is registered as a trademark.”
Lengwe says, “Anyone found retailing the Nike Jersey with the FAZ logo will be subject to prosecution as has been the case in the past. Members of the public are guided accordingly.”
Lengwe says the Kings of Africa management were exploring the possibility of using the KoPa kit for their match on May 25.
“It remains the FAZ responsibility to organize international football matches in Zambia as mandated by FIFA,” he says.
Lengwe reaffirmed that FAZ was not against the match but only wished that the organisation be done in accordance with accepted practices in the game.
The former Chipolopolo players will be coached by 1988 African footballer of the year, Kalusha Bwalya.
The match is being used to market Zambia as a tourist destination by the Ministry of Tourism.
Meanwhile Barcelona Legends coach Albert Llopis Ferrer confirmed that eighteen FC Barcelona Legends will come to Zambia for the match.
Most notably Ronaldo de Asis Moreira popularly known as Ronaldinho, Holland legend Patrick Stephan Kluivert, and Argentine Javier Saviola.
The FC Barcelona Legends will also have an official training session on 24th of May open to the public.
Tickets for the match have since gone on sale in all ShopRite stores countrywide via Computicketing.
