By FAZ Media
President Hakainde Hichilema says his government will work with FAZ to ensure that all national teams are supported.
And Hichilema says he will summon mining firms to help find a solution to FAZ’s legacy debt.
Meanwhile FAZ president Keith Mweemba laid bare the historic legacy debt by FAZ that stands over K140 million.
Speaking when he hosted the U-15 Men’s National Team that won the Tier B of the FIFA World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, Hichilema promised to convene a meeting with mining firms to help wipe out FAZ ‘s debt crisis.
“Our intention is to work with you (FAZ), and your team to work through a programme that will ensure due attention is given to all the teams in some way or another. But to do that, we have to grow the envelope,” Hichilema said.
“The President will use his little clout to make this happen. So please make a note of this, President, and Minister, peers, and others. I will invite all mining firms to a meeting to help raise funds for FAZ. So that we have a lunch like this with all the mining houses.”
He said the mining sector in Zambia was booming spreading to provinces like North Western and Central and promised to tap into it.
“So, colleagues in cabinet, let’s take note of that. I must say to the Football Association of Zambia, we have got your message. I have asked the president of FAZ to write the President over this matter,” Hichilema said.
He pledged to dismantle FAZ’s legacy debt that had been a lingering headache for the association.
“This thing is creating problems for the development of football. I also want to say as we dismantle the legal debt, we want FAZ to be more prudent in managing resources once we dismantle that debt,” Hichilema said.
“Do not to acquire more debt because you live beyond your means. Let’s move away from consumption. Let us not be wasteful but more in investing in these young people.”
“Resources will always be scarce. So, yes, we will work together to dismantle the legal debt, but we want to work with you to be more prudent and more focused in how you utilise resources.”
Hichilema says government is not in competition with FAZ and will therefore support them fully.
“And by the way, government is never a competitor to its own FAZ. In the past, FAZ sometimes would show some signs that there is a competition with the government. No, how can we? Am I not the patron of FAZ? So how can we compete with it?” he said.
Hichilema urged the U-15 boys to remain focused and disciplined in the pursuit of their careers.
He encouraged them not to abandon education as it was key in their success.
“I was just saying that what we are celebrating today is an historic, truly, truly historic, written, engraved in an indelible ink, meaning that no one can ever rub it out. So, thank you, congratulations to Junior Chipolopolo for this great achievement,” he said.
And Mweemba pleaded with President Hichilema to demolish FAZ’s longstanding debt.
“Mr. President, we also wish to draw your attention to one of FAZ lingering headaches which is the legacy debt situation. I am aware that this matter was brought to your attention in December, 2024 when you once again graciously hosted our victorious under-17 boys and girls at Taj Pamodzi Hotel,” Mweemba said.
“While some strides were made arising from your directive to restructure the FAZ debt, we remain heavily trapped in our indebtedness. The legacy debt of FAZ currently stands at not less than ZMW40 million. This legacy debt is reflective of the financial demands of managing multiple national teams relative to the income the institution generates.”
He asked the President to extend the support to national teams beyond the Chipolopolo and Copper Queens.
“Our humble plea, for the avoidance of doubt, is that our hard working government considers extending its support to our all our developmental (junior) national teams especially when representing the country in the Cosafa, CAF and FIFA World Cups,” he said.
“We have in mind the u-17 women national team that has participated at the FIFA World Cup for three consecutive times at a great cost to FAZ. It is our hope that we can, in the nearest future, get that much desired support for that level of participation in international events and/or competitions.”
And captain Simon Nyirenda thanked President Hichilema for having hosted the team at State House promising to work hard.
The Brian Kunsanama coached side won the Tier B of the FIFA U15 World Cup after beating Portugal 5-2 in the final.
