April 30 2011.
FAZ was at war with itself. On one side, Andrew Ndanga Kamanga, backed by a determined faction, fought tooth and nail to take over the country’s football leadership writes Nkweto Tembwe
On the other, Kalusha Bwalya—the FIFA-recognized FAZ president—stood firm, dismissing the “new FAZ” as an illegitimate assembly. The battle lines were drawn. Meetings were called almost daily, but the crisis deepened.
Then, State House stepped in. As FAZ Patron, President Rupiah Banda wrote to FIFA. A solution had to be found. FIFA agreed to a meeting in Zurich, and Zambia sent a high-powered delegation, including Sports Minister, FAZ officials, and crucially—Kamanga and Simataa Simataa.
At the Zurich meeting, all chairs were labelled with a title, except two!
When they returned, one phrase dominated every football discussion:
V.O.N.C.
The Vote of No Confidence was coming. FIFA had spoken. An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) had to be called. The stage was set.
The Battlefield – Mulungushi Rock of Authority
It was the most tense football gathering Zambia had ever seen. Security was airtight. Kamanga’s supporters arrived, defiant. Team Kalu walked in with an air of certainty.
The media had taken their positions—cameras rolling, notebooks open, microphones switched on. Muvi TV was broadcasting live. The nation was watching.
Inside the arena, words were few. Everyone was reading body language.
One man caught all eyes—FAZ spokesperson Erick Obed Mwanza. His usual swagger was missing. He looked exhausted, almost defeated. A concerned call came from Chingola:
“Ba Nkweto, are things okay? Erick talemoneka bwino.”
I had noticed it too. I found my way to him.
“All is okay, I’m just tired,” he told me.
I wasn’t convinced. Something felt off.
The Moment of Reckoning
FAZ General Secretary George Kasengele rose to his feet. The arena went into an eerie silence.
“It is now time…” he began, his voice calm but deliberate.
The Vote of No Confidence, proposed by Mazabuka United, was finally on the agenda. All eyes locked onto him.
But then—
A twist.
Kasengele held up a letter.
“Before we proceed… we have received a letter from Mazabuka United.”
A stunned silence.
People stiffened in their seats. Some leaned forward.
Erick Mwanza and other FAZ secretariat members were quietly but visibly making final preparations for the Vote. He and others were seen placing the ballot boxes right in front of the podium. The die was surely cast.
The vote was surely about to happen.
Mr. Kasengele opened the letter. It was short.(see picture)
Too short.
He read. Then paused. The words sank in.
“The V.O.N.C will not take place because the movers of the motion have withdrawn it within the stipulated time.”
Pandemonium!
The hall exploded.
Kamanga’s supporters erupted in fury, surging forward, but the ever alert FAZ “Police”—a private security team loyal to Foitball House —blocked them.
The Kalu camp burst into wild celebrations.
A chorus of clapping, shouting, and ululations filled the room. Then, from a group of women came a defiant Bemba chant:
“Lekeni Kalu Ateke, Mwamutenyatenya pafula!”
In the midst of all this, the Kamanga Camp went into hyper mode and quickly attempted to bring back the agenda item for the V.O.N.C.
Mr Simataa Simataa was seen with a hand written letter taking it to the podium. Mr Kasengele in a very cool voice announced to the audience that the letter could not be accepted because the constitution did not allow…..
Kamanga’s camp had seen enough. Furious, they walked out, their supporters chanting:
“Parallel League! Parallel League!”
Outside, a Muvi TV reporter caught up with Kamanga.
“Mr. Kamanga, what just happened in there?”
His answer was recorded for posterity.
A Football Nation in Chaos
The following weeks were a whirlwind. A parallel league was declared. Some clubs withdrew from the FAZ-run MTN Super League. The season unraveled into confusion.
Yet, amid this storm, Zambia was still playing qualifiers for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
Against all odds, against a backdrop of boardroom fights, FAZ battles, and chaos that should have doomed any normal football team—Chipolopolo conquered Africa.
It was destiny. It was fate. It was Zambia’s greatest football moment.
The Vote of No Confidence? The Parallel League? The power struggles?
Footnotes in history.
What mattered was that Zambia, in the land where they had once mourned, now danced as champions.
VIDEO : MUVI TV YOUTUBE.
《NTv News》
