SPORTS minister Vincent Mwale says Heroes and Levy Mwanawasa stadiums will host next year’s Under-20 African championship.
And Football Association of Zambia acting general secretary, Katongo Kabungo, says the team will start camping next month.
In an interview, Mwale said the government had received a budget from FAZ which he was yet to present to Cabinet for approval.
“This event will be held in Lusaka and Ndola where we have the Heroes and Levy Mwanawasa stadiums. We have got a budget from FAZ which I hope to present to Cabinet for approval,” Mwale said.
He said committees comprising CAF, the local organising committee and the ministry were already in place and working on the preparations.
Mwale said CAF would be sending a team of inspectors in September to do the ‘final touches’ in making sure that facilities were ready ahead of the challenge.
“But as you know they did the preliminary inspections and they were generally okay with what they saw. And I was just informed that CAF will be sending a team in September to do final inspections,” he said.
Mwale said the government was geared to ensure that the tournament takes place smoothly.
He said once Cabinet approves the budget, distribution of resources will begin so that everything would be ready in time.
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Good one for zambia maybe hosting big tourneys like this one can improve our game, good luck chipolopolo.
4 groups needs 4 stadia. They should have added Nkholoma and ADS, its only U17. Over use of pitches will run them dowm leavivg the later games being played on rundown pitches
Its not under 17 but under 20 tournament
Its good for zed soccer
The once lush green and even turf at Levy Mwanawasa stadium is gone! Long gone! Terrible maintenance attitudes we have in our ‘experts’. We’ve been watching it deteriorate from one of the best surface in Africa to what we see today. Its very shameful to say the least!
A step in the right direction
This is an acid test for the real thing, afcon. Deliver it efficiently with joy and celebration and Caf will take Zambia seriously!!!
Please FAZ engage expat grounds men to maintain the turf at the two stadiums. Seek advise from Nigeria and even Zimbabwe who have really improved the maintenance of their stadiums just like SA. Here in Zed it is just slashing the grass and it ends there without even raking. When a player falls down it is embarrassing to see this player covered in cut grass even on the head. Kamanga do something please. Improve the uneven playing surface which has now turned brownish. We don’t even know if the chairs have been spared!
best
Good One For Zed Soccer, Hosting U20 Is A Big Close Up For De Main One. I Honestly Agree, Zat Turf Surfaces For Both Stadia De Levy And Stadia De Heroes Ar Nt That Convincingly Good Enough. Most Suprisingly Ar Zat These Stadia’s Hav Got Management To Run Them Rather To Maintain Them. If They Ar Nt Doin Their Jobs, Deplace Them! Why Having Them? Unless Otherwise. Remember We Hv Been Cryin For These Sports Facilities, So Lets Put Them In The Hands Of The Right Pipo Who Ar Able To Maintain Turfs. Lets Nt Only Disire Or Admire The Outlooks Of These Stadium But Also The Indoors, I Mean De Surface Of Stadia’s Hav To B Workd On. They Cant Host 4-6 Gamz Within A Week With The Current Status Of Turf Surfaces. If U Ask Me, Nkoloma Is By Far Beta Off Than These Big Stadiams. This Is Hw Failure Start If Facilities Ar Mis-handled Or Nt Well Managed. My Advise Goes To FAZ Boss To Luk Into This Mata Seriously To Avoid Being Cald A Failure Administration. Otherwise, Its Go Zed Go. Show Them What U ‘ve Got.