Government says it will withhold all grants meant for the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ), this year to recover the money spent on Elijah Tana’s fruitless trip to Ghana where he was not included in the Zambia National soccer team that has since been ejected from the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in that country.
Sports Minister Gabriel Namulambe said he felt fooled and cheated that he went out of his way to facilitate for Tana’s trip, when some officials at FAZ had already submitted a list of players to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) that would represent Zambia, but deliberately chose to mislead him.
Namulambe said this when he met Provincial and District Sports Advisory Committees in Livingstone today to sensitize them on the importance of developing sports in their respective areas and preparing adequately for Zambia’s hosting of the All Africa games in 2011.
The Sports minister said FAZ will have to find money elsewhere this year because government will withhold all the grants to make up for the money that was wasted to take Tana to Ghana when those in FAZ knew he was not going to play.
He said it was unfortunate for the national soccer team technical committee to be ignorant about which players were selected to play because this meant that someone at FAZ was making personal decisions at the expense of the Zambian taxpayer.
“Spending taxpayers’ money should be done in public and not in personal interest.” he said.
Namulambe said he did not condemn the performance of those who played but added that deliberate efforts should have been made to ensure experienced players like Tana were included in the team.
Meanwhile, the sports minister has given a go-ahead to African Impact, a non- governmental organization to construct a K2 billion sports community complex at the Livingstone Villa grounds.
Namulambe said government was ready to partner with organizations that were interested in promoting and developing sports in the country.
“We are ready as government to partner with organizations such as yours but all we ask for in return is for you to make genuine investments which will be beneficial to our people.” Namulambe said.
He was impressed with the plans forwarded by the NGO to put up football grounds, tennis, basketball, netball and volleyball courts, a borehole, library, kiosk and other facilities for minority sports disciplines like badminton, squash, judo and karate.
He urged the organisation to work in collaboration with the District Sports Advisory Committee to avoid duplication of programmes and to ensure the project was a success.
And African Impact Programme manager, Richard Leach said the sports complex will provide a safe haven for all communities in Livingstone because sport brought people together.
Leach said the international coaches that will come to the tourist capital to train youths in various sports disciplines will generate favourable publicity for Livingstone in particular and the country at large.
Leach said Zambia has a lot of talent waiting to be developed to perfection.
He said construction of the sports complex will begin in earnest since the minister has now given a greenlight.
This is obviousley Kalusha Bwalya egocentric monopoly. Kalushya wants to contral FAZ like his own kantemba without involving others. Mwaona, so no cash this year, that means, no nwe no boasting.
Infact FAZ needs overhauling. Prayers get little compared to what FAZ staff use in a year. Lazalo Lazalo Lazalo nichani kufeluka grade seven 10 times per hour? A Mami!!! motivation panalibe!!!!!!!
Congrates Hon. Gabriel Namulambe, MP, Minister of sports for that descision!!!!!!!!!
youare the man we need, a man who will make such positive descisions!!!
those chaps in FAZ are wasting our money!!
infact they should take it from Phiri s salary becouse he knew he hard droped him but,and still allowed FAZ to send him.sham all what happened was that phiri wanted to experiment at National cost.foolish koswe
Good this is what we need. FAZ is very stupid indeed.
GRZ should squeez them until the stop being foolish
Chachine! Ba Patrick Phiri Lifontini!
good decision, GABBY! But lets not punish the whole team, but hold the FAZ officials that made the decision responsible.
This goes to show how poorly funded football is. Surely the cost of taking Tana to Tunisia and Ghana cannot be equivalent to the entire grant allocation to FAZ. Was the Minister serious when he made this statement, or is it the usual blah, blah, blah? Withholding ALL grants? How much does Government give to FAZ anyway?
Thats a very good decision taken by the government though i feel it would have been better to withhold only those grants thats could have been used for administrative purposes before such decisions have a danger of also destroying soccer in ZAMBIA. Well done minister otherwise. Its patrick and teddy problem
I hope the grants government has withheld are those related to FAZ officals’ salaries/alowances. That would teach them not to play with our money.
Infact their should be a change of management. Replace the wasteful yet illperforming executive members in FAZ.
but this minister, how much did they spend on Tana’s trip? that is a ridiculous declaring! i don’t disagree that they have decided to withhold the money but i only disagree with the reason thereof. in fact they should have done this a long time ago, they MISUSE our tax money too much. hope they have learnt a lesson by now. orgainsation should start home 1st. that Phiri guy should rest for now, CAF and COSAFA are 2 different things. they messed up, ok, time to move forward, well done minister for you action but better give the reason than using the circumstance as a s scapegoat.
Yeah sure, it is Kalusha fault. #1 you are ignorant. Kalusha was saying before the games, that Tana is a patriot and that he should be included in the team.
The whole FAZ has always been dominated by incompetents who are more interested in themselves than Zambian soccer. I do not know if Kalusha will be better, but at least he has the traininng to be more professional. Lets hope he wins the presidency and then show us what he can do.
No.10 mr critic,…. it is obvious u have never travelled by plane coz flying alone is a costly affair and connecting from one country to another switching airlines is even more expensive because i am not sure if u know but due to certain air transport laws some flights from within africa have to go to europe first before arriving at their final destination. Here u are challenging the minister for a reason for his actions and yet u know very well that, with every government action taken, it is done first to establish if they have been any underhand tactics, its the principle for the decision not the circumstances that brought about the minister’s actions……….. ati the critic.. yaba
Gabby lifontini who cant think beyond the lies he tells his children whether he will bring sweets in the evening or not.Does he honestly expect us to swallow his folly hook,line and sinker as if we cant make heads and tails over Zed’s quick exit at the CAN08.C’mon minister tell another story,this one is stale.LPM here is another worthy of your sack.Make it two in a week LPM.We all know you can do it!Go for it man.
Punish those who cheated you not FAZ!
Emotions are still high now!
Suppose Zambia has mysteriously picked the cup, what would you have done?
A week ago, I warned against the danger of leaving Tana out. Now these are the offshoots of that decision. Right or wrong, its up to you to determine.
Tana is also a problem all his fellow players gathered in Zambia before they started off for Ghana. Why did he come to Zambia and join the rest? Disgrace! However if any monies have been misused because of cheating GOVT has the right to withhold the grants. This must be extended to the ZOGAGA (NOC) have accounted for the money they were given for the All Africa Games last year. Something must be done!!
HI ZAMBIANS,
THE MINISTER’S STATEMENY LEAVES ME EVEN MORE CONFUSED. GOVT WILL WITHHOLD ALL FAZ GRANTS SO AS TO RECOVER MONEY LOST IN TANA’S TRIP… QUICK ARITHMETIC TELLS ME SUDAN TO GHANA(OR WHERE IN AFRICA) IS AS FOLLOWS:
k6, 000, 000.00 (TO AND FRO)
k3, 500, 000.00 (HOTEL AND MEALS FOR ABOUT 4 DAYS)
THESE FIGURES ARE PURELY IMAGINERY. BUT I AM SURE THAT GOVT DID NOT SPEND NOT MORE THAN k10M ON TANA’S TRIP….. WHAT?
I AM SHOCKED….. IS THAT FAZs ANNUAL GRANT???????
GABRIEL???
yes i agreee with #17.The money that Govt spent on Tana can not be the same as a year’s FAZ grants.It seems the minister is acting out of emotions.By withholding the grant to FAZ,he will not only be punishing FAZ alone but the entire football in Zambia.Let us not act out of emotions but we need to relect on what happened at AFCON.
#6 “Makai? you are right.
It is what it is people?
#17 “Mingeli Palata” you are just right. The minister actually spoke like one without any wisdom.
When the team was first convening in Zambia, C.Katongo was one of the first to arrive and Tana arrived just before the end, he was allowed to go and tend to his ‘personnel matters’ and the struggle to get him back with the team began. At that moment do you not try and help one our most important players, encourage him to comeback or stay… I feel there was no unity between FAZ and players, no team only individual needs and that is very sad.
It is surely not the about the money which is not very much in the grand scheme of things, the minister was making a point! whether it is worthy point or a right move, who knows.
Let’s put an end to these little pokes and jives, let’s see some united, concerted far and wide reaching development that will enable us to get back to grips and compete. We need it now.
Namulambe has no management skills. Whatever happened. The buck stop at his position as minister of sports. With all supporting staff eg deputy ministers and perm secs; he should have known that theList was already submitted to CAF. Why cant he address the root cause of Tana’s failure to fly out of Zambia with the rest of the team. If Tana is indisciplined & was busy seling his oats or enjoying shake shake/mosi when the team flew out then he does’nt deserve a place in the team no matter how skilled he is.It appears the minister tried so hard to get indisplined Tana in the team. Its bad management to encourage indiscipline in the team Mr Minister. Thats what spoilt emmanuel zulu & now Mbesuma
#1 why conclude it was Kalusha and not Mulonga or others. FAZ is not Kalusha and Kalusha is not FAZ. You are full of venom for Kalusha. Shame.
Just for clarification, the statement has been misinterpreted. He will be cutting the funding for FAZ administration only. The team will continue to receive funding.
I just found out that Clifford Mulenga won the African Young Player of the Year award. Congratulations to him. Hopefully he will continue to work hard and break into a good league in Europe, although I know height is a hinderance to his chances.
#7 I agree with you this minister also sometimes gives me alot to wonder,how much did Tana’s trip costed them so that it can affect the whole national team grant allocation the best he should have done is shut up and pretend as if he will come up with good plan for the way forward of our country’s biggest sport because this is so cheap talk Mr minister in future you do never say things you don’t even understand yourself atase.
#1 you also try to reason and get facts before you post your comments,you just get excited for no reason,cause if you ready the papers about what Kalu said of Tana then your comments are useless,so next time shut up.
Mr Patrick Phiri must stop sayin that they learnt alot from Ghana 2008. We have head of that each and every time Zambia is eliminated. You made wrong decisions and that cost TAX payers money. You must just do one thing mr phiri. You have failed our country!!
Kalusha is completely out of question in this issue!! Kalu said it ealier that Tana is a very disciplined player and he had never done that before.For him to do that, there was serious problem which needed probably FAZ’s attention not the FAZ Chief to talk nagatively against Tana in public like that. Mulonga and Patrick Phiri messed up every thing and this money should be recovered from them.Mulonga has brought politics into Soccer Administration and I appeal to Patrick not talk about soccer any more but to humbly give way to a competent coach.No more Patrick, no more Mulonga.
i hate zambia
I agree with #17 and #18. This chap is talking like a cadre and on a campaign trip in Kanyama. The words he has used like “I felt fooled” point to some form of immature behaviour. Some of these things can be followed up with FAZ and check who made the decision to drop Tana. I dont think he would have made much a difference. The last Africa cup, he was captain and we went out in the first round. Zambin football is going to the dogs. How can you withhold grants due to some K 12-15m spent on Tana.Giving FAZ less what was spent on Tana is more reasonable. How much resources are wasted to escort or welcome LPM at the airport, jet fuel and allowances for his aides on useless troops.
gentlemen & ladies, the minister is right, its not a matter of figures or the amount of money involved,its punishment for ARROGANT KALUSHA BWALYA AND TEDDY for their poor management of FAZ and football in our country.Infact they should be FIRED as Charles Nshimbi suggested. they are not doing anything.
For Patric Phiri, ‘ba Mudala Tusheni nomba we can’t afford to fail qualify to the 2010 world cup in SA.
people dont just look at the cost of flying Tana to ghana.consider also the impact made to the team for not having atleast one confident and experienced defender. zambia is out now , to a large extent,coz we lacked a leader in defensolio as the italian say. I’m sure you saw yesterday the ghanain defender made an important tackle which resultetd in his red card in an exchange for a goal ,the last man in defence. that was good. the impact for nthe absence of tana as an experience center back (defence leader) was enomous
#33 Can u pilz tell me why u are callING KALU, ARROGANT!
Guys please look at the big picture. Firing Phiri Kalu or Mulonga wont help. Our local league is so poor and our professionals play in uncompetitive RSA league. Look at cote d’ivoire, the have Asec Mimosa Football academy which churns out disciplined and focused players that make the grade in Europe. The state of our stadiums cannot be compared with what we are seeing in Ghana.Everthing needs to change in the way football is run and forget about govt handouts because that not the way soccer is run elsewhere
Phiri, Kalu and Mulonga should not be used as scapegoats for mess and disorganisation/lack of vision/strategy of Zambian football. You reap what you sow. Infact the lads did well given the state of football in Zambia. In the short term, maintain the same team, expose Phiri to technical finesse and supporting coaches in all departments. Help the players break into more competitive league eg Europe. Long term set up youth academies and devise a strategy that will allow local football to be run commercially. Forget the old days of ZCCM sponsorship of football.
#33, Kalu iz arrogant you know him from far.
The problems of Zambian soccer are so humungous that they are beyond FAZ. The decline, to the point where we are now a laughing stock, has taken decades to set in, not least helped by unfavourable economic policies premised on market forces.
The challenges of football transcend the national team. In fact Chipolopolo is just a small part of the whole set-up. The national team is the end product of what we have invested in the league, youth football, school soccer, refereeing, stadia playing surfaces, coaching development, among many others. It will be comical to blame such an inferior end product, when we haven’t serviced the production line for decades!
#31 Go back to India. No one is held in Zambia aginist his/her will.
#33 Please Ask Charles Nshimbi to travel to Cote d’Iviore, Egypt, Tunisia, South Africa to see how football is organised in those countries, then let him engage his brain into gear before he opens his mouth to speak or to put pen to paper.
#39 Well put.Tell them so that they listen.Bauze
the usall Zambian crup!
#33 how come only zambians see kalu arrogant? FIFA, CAF, SOUTH 2010,DON’T SEE THT KALU IS ARROGANT AND THEY USING IS KNOWLEDGE , PILZ ZAMBIANS PULL DOWN SYDROME WE NEVER HELP U. KALU IS OK, I KNOW HIM WELL TOO.
All those showing their foolishness with their stupid calculations should be ashamed, the point is not how much was spent but the manner in which funds where wasted to send Elijah to Ghana, Kumasi, just to have a glimpse of his fellow clowns and travel back.
What Gabby did was very wise, it should teach the football admin to account for how they waste tax payers money. Am sure Gabby has the exposure to understand flight costs. The problem with some of you is you think you become very wise when you go to buy salaula commodities to come and resale back home, and think those who have decided to do better hear have no understanding on any issue. Uushitasha mwana wa ndoshi.
And pliz keep your foolishness away from Kalu! What more can a man do single-handedly?
Muletasha ba Hippo! A few years ago you all had nothing but praise for the man. How manage to forget so quickly is such a mystery to me.
Let the man alone. His even failed to work with any locals because you are all pulling him down. Let him work with South Africans and Ghanains, and FIFA who realize how much he has done for this country of people who dont know nothing about appreciation.
You $UK!!!
Ba DON ur are right my brother,hands off GREAT KALU!! pilz!! twa papata.
#31 Hey, keep it to yourself please it is sad to see a Zambian Indian hate his country. Zambia is a beautiful country man and I am very surprise that a Zambian native with Indian blood would say something about hating his country.
I do not know whose responsibility it is to sign off the final players’ list that goes to CAF. But one thing is certain, Patrick Phiri must have been privy to this list at the time of its submission because he is the technical manager and he needs to know who his charges are. So who misled the Minister? Also, before “going out of his way” Namulambe should have acertained whether these two characters were indeed required or where surplus to requirement given that the team sheet was already given to CAF. We must aportion responsibility very specifically so that discipline can also be metted out appropriately not in wholesale fashion like this
Ba FAZ ni ba imbwa that is all
God news for Felix Katongo, he is going where Kalaba failed, no trials
Kalusha has a histroy of interfering with Technical Committee, This has been proven before and it is theirfor possible that Kalusha had a hand in Tana’s issue. Unless we no the truth we can suspect Kalusha. Whilest not ignoring the fact that Kalusha has contributed possitively in Zambian football as a player his adminstrative skills are poor probably because of his humble education background (Grade 12 and some courses in being a football trainer).
well done Honorable Minister… you have set a fine example. Let’s address developmental issues in our country, clearly football is failing us [or are we failing football?]
congratulations to Felix Katongo for his transfer to French Ligue 1 side Rennes (pronounced ‘Ren’). Apparently the manager had been following him for a long time and says he has great potential. It was probably Felix’s hard working performance at the African Nations Cup which made his decision. Rennes is a good mid table side with experienced players like Wiltord and Mensah, so I’m pretty certain with Felix’s positive attitude he will learn a lot and develop to his full potential. A famous player from this club was Peter Cech. So its a good development club.
Kalu has nothing to do with all this. Please pipo learn to appreciate our own. Kalu is well respected in RSA,by FIFA and CAF it is amazing how we as Zambians keep talking ill of him. In the process we are losing an opportunity to tap into his talents and skills. We need to ask ourselves why Kalu mingles with the likes of Sepp Blatter, Mandela, Abedi Pele,etc. What is it that they see that we cant see?
Well done to Felix, he was the star of our brief Nations Cup campaign. However he should consider in retrospect that he could’ve broken into the European leagues sooner if it had not been for his indiscipline at Jomo Cosmos that resulted in him being asked to leave. Felix must emulate his brother’s disciple and hard-working on the pitch and the training ground. He is a possible future captain of the squad
umwana wa mwela
#51 bear in mind that one’s educational backgroubd has nothing to do with certain achievements and successes. Kindly give me an example of a coach or player/s who has a degree in football from some university. Football is not about being a grade twelve of seven is about skill and thats it.
lets forget footy @ zed COZ the boys have failed and embrassed as alot and now their not ashemed of losing anymore let us try to love and support other sports like rugby, support those guys and maybe ZAMBIA SHALL BE SAVED FROM ALL THOSE EMBRASSMENT! like at South africa how it performed in rugby they the cup in their country now!
#51,Having a University doctorate are not the requirements needed to run a football org.Michel Platini the president of the biggest continental Football organization has no University degree.He is a grandson of a brick layer& a son of a youth football coach who started playing football as a small boy.He has spent almost his entire life on the football pitch.Kalu was this week recognized by Caf as one of the best 10 players of African football along side Etoo,Drogba,Abedi Pele,Kanu etc.We all know that he sits on the Caf technical committee and he is also on Fifa.
Indeed, “a Prophet has no honour in his Land”.