AS the race to Football House hots up, Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) treasurer, Kelvin Mutafu has come out with guns blazing claiming that Zambia lost the Nike kit deal because of alleged corruption.
Mutafu, who is seeking to defend his post at next year’s FAZ elections, also charged that there was a syndicate of ticket sales after the association allegedly blocked Vane Technologies and Shoprite from doing computerised tickets for the association.
In a posting on his WhatsApp group ‘Mutafu 4 2016 FAZ Treasurer’ on Wednesday, the former Forest Rangers chairperson said the Chipolopolo were initially the only African team dressed by Nike but that the deal was lost due to alleged corruption.
He charged that Zambia fell out with Nike after FAZ allegedly allowed an individual (Pivoty Simwanza – a FAZ executive committee member) to reproduce the jerseys in China.
Simwanza is sent by FAZ president Kalusha Bwalya and proceeds from replica jerseys and black market ticket sales are shared between the two and other ‘good boys’.
“We lost the Nike deal because of allowing one individual to reproduce the kit from China of which sales were being shared among individuals. As a result, we have no kit supplier. Nike was the best deal. We were the only African team dressed by Nike and to lose it because of corruption pains. Let’s wake up gentlemen and call a spade a spade not a big spoon,” Mutafu wrote.
FAZ ended the partnership in August last year with United States’ kit sponsors, Nike, which started in 2004, However, the national teams are still using Nike equipment until a new dresser is found.
Mutafu also alleged that currently, there was a huge syndicate of tickets within the association after blocking Vane Technologies and Shoprite who were earmarked to be doing computickets for Football House.
He said he had concluded discussions with Vane and Shoprite on the handling of e-tickets sales.
Mutafu charged that FAZ had continued making losses from ticket sales because the match tickets for international games were being brought into the country by some individuals.
The FAZ treasurer stated that because of his stance against the current status quo, the association removed him as chairperson for the match organising committee (MOC).
“We have continued to make losses as tickets can’t reconcile as the huge part go in wrong hands at the expense of the association. This move which I have been fighting led to my being removed as MOC chairperson,” he said.
Mutafu also claimed that early last year, he attempted to share part of the MTN Zambia league sponsorship money with lower division clubs but that he faced a lot of resistance from certain circles within the FAZ executive.
He charged that according to his investigations, he discovered that it was a deliberate ploy to make lower division teams financially unsustainable so that some people could continue donating cheap footballs and jerseys to gain popularity among the struggling clubs.
Mutafu proposed that next season he would fight hard to ensure the league sponsorship money trickled down to teams in the lower divisions as long as he remained FAZ treasurer.
He also said at the last FAZ annual general meeting, he reversed an attempt to allocate K220,000 for the purchase of replica jerseys because the association had never made any profits from such sales and that the money raised only benefited a few selfish individuals.
The FAZ treasurer said he instead decided to channel the amount towards real beneficiaries, women football but that the move created tension between him and some officials within the executive whom he blocked from syphoning funds from the association.
Mutafu appealed to the FAZ councillors to be focused and decline any corruption attempts from officials in the association.
Source: Zambia Reports
Update: Mutafu has now resigned his position in FAZ
This Mutufu guy must be brave to speak against his employers in such a manner… One thing that pains me is that even these NIKE fellows designed a very poor regalia for our National Team… Fax shoul could engaging other kit suppliers as PUMA who are doing a commendable job in Africa.. Mr. MUTUFU seems to be a disgruntled fellow who is attempting to quench his anger by publishing such stories… Question is why wasn’t he reporting as things unfolded instead of unleashing the data now?
He is part of the corrupt and rotten FAZ.
From Zambian reports really??? that publication has got no credence at all. this needs verification. and from WhatsApp?? unbelievable. this is total BS
@sade, u ‘ve made my day, “thats BS”? Whats do u mean by saying BS? u meant bull shit or black stars?
I thnk so
Such stories r difficult 2 believe mr. Mutafu but thanx 4 bringing them 2 our attention m sure mr. Simataa will make a braai out of it.
mr matafu there is no heroism in stupidity. thats frivolous of triviality you are very poor in mind. you lacked academic intellectual.whats aap its not the right platform to talk about issues to do with a such respected footballing nation like zambia.shame on you.you are fired banned.
FAZ wants to hold a meeting with him,let’s wait and dnt judge him.
so all along Chipolopolo were wearing a green T-shirt and boxer shots from China for international matches. Like seriously. This is disgraceful. Those responsible must fired and fined.
Are you defending useless FAZ or what? There could be some truth in what he said. I can only say that Mutafu is also part of this rotten and corrupt FAZ. And why not report the matter to the ACC, DEC or Police?
WE have always known that FAZ are corrupt, and that there is a lot of corruption going on from team selection, to ticketing, kit sponsorship, etc. But Mutafu should have reported the matter to DEC, ACC or Police instead of washing dirty linen in public. Lets see what happens and people are following this matter with keen interest.
am shocked. pepo defending Faz wen we know the corruption that takes place at football house
Fifa guys are untouchable . Reporting to acc police or dec is goverment interference. This case wont go anywhere unless he reported to cia with subtatial evidence.
Nike produced good jerseys for the 2010 Africa cup in Angola and the one we won in 2012. After that, it was rubbish. Nigeria are the ones now being sponsored by Nike and anyone who has seen the new Nigerian jersey will agree with me that it is horrible. It’s good riddance. Addidas would be a better option.
But this is not something that should surprise anyone. Faz is corrupt look at the way they select players it doesn’t make sense
Are you accusing Mutafu for using the wrong forum? What nonsense! The man has revealed the sordid happenings in Faz and all that needs to b done is to encourage the man to go deeper and lay bear all the dirty linen in public. The innocent should not worry nor complain. If he is found out to also have benefited so be it! The heads must roll…. Or the whip must crack, there shud be no sacred cows! I have always said that this chap with a funny head Kalu is living beyond his means! How come the Presidents position which is part time can support a lavish life style in RSA? This chap Kalu is getting rich in the dark. He is playing ‘God’ with Faz policies.some one pliz hit his knuckles b4 its too late!!!
Zambians never stop amazing me. Who does not know that this FAZ admin is corrupt to the core. There is nothing new in what Mutafu is saying except he is an insider and can give actual detailed account of the corrupt practices. Why are ticket sales in Zambia done in such a shambolic manner. This FAZ owes everyone, stadium management, hotels, security companies, ZRA etc. Am very sure the list is bigger. Everything they do is shoddy. We even still train in match jerseys. Big companies like Nike cannot work with taka taka chaps with no integrity. Let the chickens come home to roost.
The only problem is that such kind of accusations are hard to prove but I hope he’s got enough evidence to back up what he’s saying and who even is responsible must face the music.
FAZ is corrupt, there is no way a big team like zambia can’t have a. Kit sponsor for over a year, even get takings they don’t announce them
What Mutafu has said is nothing new. He is an inside and was until Thursday the associations treasurer. My problem with a lot of people on this issue is that they all puff smoke and that is just that. If indeed their is corruption as the perception suggests, why not mention names and the details of what went wrong? Tell us this one did this and benefited like this which was illegal. But all we are getting is a a whiff of smoke nothing much. So, i will join the wagon only when some one brings in real evidence, otherwise just wasting time. It’s fashionable now in Zambia to label anyone who has made it beyond what a lot of guys can’t reach as corrupt.
If someone mentioned for example mismanagement of certain aspects of our game then it would be a different case. I don’t believe these guys could be so stupid to brazenly betray the trust of the Councillors and the public.
Haven’t you seen that he mentioned Kalusha and Pivoty Mwanza? What more do you want him to say? Especially Kalusha, is the man at the center of this controversy. Why are you defending FAZ? Are you one of the beneficiary of FAZ corruption? Nonsense.
If he has evidence let him share it with ACC so that we have a clean FAZ otherwise it could just be a campaign ploy
@Billy that’s the issue. If you are fighting corruption, let it not just end in the media.
The quality of the Nike Jersey is terrible. Like one made in some back yard in Misisi.
Mr Mutafu has opened the football house doors for investigations. But him being the treasure obviously he must ve been a eating from the same pots. however let’s see how he want to help clean what they did together as FAZ.
This mafuta guy knws a lot ,but y he kept queit all this time,and nw election r aroun da corner he decide to blow the wistle,he his corrupt too,just tht he never got a lions share
The only thing to be done is to move them out come 2016 they are useles especialy kalu he is the source.viva Adamz