Thursday, March 28, 2024

FAZ ponders AFCON 2015 bid

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FAZ general secretary George Kasengele (c) and Sport in Action president Clement Chileshe (r) presenting soccer balls to Chinyunyu sports Academy secretary Jimmy Mwanza (l

THE Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has said it is considering bidding to host the prestigious Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) soccer tournament in 2015.

FAZ general secretary, George Kasengele said at a Press briefing at Football House in Lusaka yesterday that following the decision of the executive committee that met on October 29, 2010, it was agreed that Zambia should look at the possibility of hosting the 2015 AFCON games or if the bid fell through, still consider bidding to host the 2017 edition.

Kasengele said the FAZ executive committee also took into consideration the scores made by Republican President Rupiah Banda’s Government to finish the construction of the Ndola Stadium, and the two other stadia in Lusaka and Livingstone earmarked for construction.

He said the idea to bid for AFCON came through Bicon Zambia Limited, a construction company, which wrote to the Ministries of Works and Supply and the Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development through the company managing consultant, Renatus Mushinge.

Kasengele said the association was confident the Government would support the bid following a proposal by Bicon for Government to consider bidding for the AFCON tournament; and that FAZ as custodians of football thought they should in consultation with the Government, push in the bid with CAF for 2015.

“This follows the decision of the executive committee on 29th October, pertaining to the fact that we have to look into the possibility of hosting the 2015 AFCON tournament.

We are enthusiastic on what the Government is doing on the building of sports infrastructure starting with the Ndola Stadium and the other two in Lusaka and Livingstone that are earmarked for construction, as FAZ we felt that it will be ideal for Zambia to host the 2015 Africa Cup,” he said.

The FAZ chief executive officer said examples were many of countries that had successfully hosted CAF and FIFA tournament like Angola who hosted this year’s tournament, Ghana hosted the 2008 edition and recently held 2010 World Cup in South Africa and it gave FAZ the impetus that Zambia could also bid to host the 2015 edition or if the bid flopped they could still propose to bid for the 2017 edition.

He said the response was positive, but that it was a matter for Cabinet approval, but that as custodians of the game, FAZ thought they should start the process of looking into the possibilities to be among the countries aspiring to host the continental soccer showpiece and that consultations with major stakeholders would continue.

“It is high time we considered to bid for the Africa Cup considering the good strides taken by the Government on sport infrastructure and the fact that the national team is currently progressing well. In four and a half years when the 2015 Africa Cup will be played, the current team will be at their prime to participate and usually teams that host the Africa Cup win, so we look forward to that day.

‘We think as FAZ it is important to attempt to host the Africa Cup after we were banned in 1988 when we failed to host that year’s competition. It is a major undertaking because it involves a lot of stakeholders who include the Government through the ministries of Sport, Works and Supply, Tourism, the aviation and telecommunication industry through the Communication and Transport ministry,” Kasengele said.

He said a bid committee would soon be put in place and as FAZ they felt it important to inform the nation of the intention, and that being an affiliate of CAF, FAZ felt they should consider biding to host the tournament.

He said it did not matter who was in office at the time, the idea was to push in the bid.

[Times of Zambia]

28 COMMENTS

  1. Comedy at it’s best, The Ndola stadium is not yet completed and as usual Pa Zambia, anything is possible including breaking it up. Now which other stadias can we use? we need at least 4 new bigger capacity ones with adquate hotel accomodation infrastructure and Kalusha Gone before we can bid. Remember the 1988 bid that flopped and we got punished and the all Africa Games 2011 Fiasco. Zambia never learns.

  2. give us a break kalu and your baffoons. you are gone you are taking football backwards. we dont have a national team coach, the super league is in a shamble, referees have stopped blowing the whistle, 4 of your members resigned, you keep the supersport and nike deals in joburg with no record at footbol house. international friendlies in yemen and chile you were paid 250000 dollars pay game the money never reached footbol house you paid child support for your kids in holland

  3. Kalusha is now going mad he thinks such nonsence talk will distract people from sending him packing out of Faz no your time is up, Zambia is not yet ready for that we need to fix Faz first put people who can use their brains there!

  4. With the ‘abuse of office clause’ being taken out of the Act., I can imagine how many of them out there are wagginng their tails. Ati ni sangwapo! awe sure only pa Zed. Ati ifintu kusubana! when they know they can’t even pull it.

  5. This is just a pipe dream! Which executive committee sat to approve this decision when the FAZ executive is in a dissolved state at the moment?
    Zambia lacks infrastructure to host such a big tournament. The one stadium in Ndola we are counting on hasnt even been completed n it will be the only one!Lets face it, we lack structures in the country at the moment 2 host the Afcon

  6. On ‘FAZ general secretary, George Kasengele said at a Press briefing at Football House in Lusaka yesterday that following the decision of the executive committee that met on October 29, 2010,’
    Mr. George Kasengele, in what capacity are you making this statement? Last I heard, your executive committee was illegal. Or maybe you’re just trying to divert attention away from your problems? Forget it, we’re not buying that. You call an EGM and then you can start making such announcements afterwards – if you’re re-elected.

  7. The first lesson we learn from history is that: “we don’t learn from history!”

    Remember Tom Mtine’s FAZ with Frederick Hapunda as Minister of Sport and the Dag Hammorjoeld Staduim? And recently the All Africa Games?

    Zambia has never recovered from that humiliation and probably never will!

  8. Come on FAZ, give us a break. If Zambia’s bidding history is anything to go by, I suggest that you build the stadiums first and then bid.

  9. “2015 AFCON games or if the bid fell through, still consider bidding to host the 2017 edition”
    I thought its 2012,2014,2016 & so on,guys dont even know AFCON schedule.
    By the way 2 more FAZ executive members have quit.

  10. 1) First hold Emergency Council Meeting & resolve the problemz in FAZ (2) Finish constructing all the stadiumz in Ndola Lusaka & livingstone (3) Then bid 4 AFCON – otherwise Kalusha & Kasengele fi colour fyenu

  11. No. 15 – from now on-wards the AFCON will no longer be hosted in world cup years and so 2013, 2015, 2017 is correct

  12. Honestly when I just read the title I laughed. Kalusha is behaving like a child, he should just resign and face the music or flee to South Africa and try to apply for assylem.

  13. October 29, you were very illegal as FAZ executive! So your decision is null and void bwana… go to the farm or better just find a quiet corner since farming is also a very serious profession!

  14. Gring gring: alo, is this K
    Kasengele: Ya its me, bola yabipaka
    Kalu: Ninshi abena
    K: I told you this morning ati Happie nachita resign , nomba mutafu aya nao
    Kalu:Yaaa bola yabipa nomba, but u know..as long as we have abena RB naba Fifa behind us mwisakamana
    K: By the way ba kalu,we have canned ba Zanaco naba Buffaloes 2 points each for not playing ilya game as you said
    Kalu: Very good K, Then just between you and me, I spoke to Joe Blatter this morning pa Fifa, he said we can still co-opt more people, so let me know if you know anyone?
    K: That’s good news bena Kalu, I will make sure I watch your back here and by the way dont forget ka share kandi from supersport deal
    Kalu: That’s rite “DONT UKUBEKA” bena Marcha nabena Eric and thanks for keeping the fans and press off my butt

  15. very dull indeed, they think all Zambians are as dull as they are! big shame!.

    By the way what has happened to Bonnet? Is he still visiting the Zambian plays abroad or has he gone back to home to attend to family issues? or may be this time its his friends’ issues as agreed in his contract with ba great Galu?

  16. Understand that the Biding dates have since passed. The closing date was actually 30th September. So where was FAZ. And by the way, among the bidders are South Africa and Morrocco and this was covering 2015 and 2017. Is this how far the illigal Kalu excutive is going to go to just deviate attention from their current existential problems?

  17. Let’s be pragmatic and accept our house is not in order. We have far bigger challenges with poverty and infrastructure to be engaged in such vanity. We can’t even clear garbage off our streets and some joker thinks we can host the Afcon?

  18. Over doing something that seems good can and will never change an evil. FAZ guys are desparate, making misleading statements. They are like politicians who say things that have no weight in them. From the time FAZ started experiencing their problems and the resigning, they went on saying they have secured bilions of kwachas to build stadiums in Livingstone and some other place. these are total lies. they should tell us exactly how much they have received and giving details of how many stadiums they can build in that money.

    My fellow Zambians, lets be analytical and think critically about empty statements both from politicians and everyone else. Its sad that our country has been hit by unsubstantiated claims and remark in the media.

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