Zambia’s chartered plane for Friday’s World Cup qualifier game cannot land at Kumasi airport because it cannot take any plane bigger that a 45-sitter ATR 42 turboprop due to construction works currently taking place at the airfield.
Sources on the ground in Accra say they could not also fly to Kumasi on an evening flight because the airport is closed for night landings at 17:00 due to works at the air field.
“That airport cannot take a Boeing 737. The biggest plane it can handle for now is an ATR 42. Plus there are not night flights due to works at the airport,” the source said.
Meanwhile, Zambia’s charter to Ghana today has been scuttled just 48 hours before their 2014 World Cup showdown against the Black Stars.
However, officials said the Wednesday’s flight has been shelved primarily after authorities failed to get clearance from DR Congo to refuel in Kinshasa en route to Ghana.
The team has been marooned at KK international airport since mid morning after arriving in Lusaka late on Tuesday evening after another day-long delay in Johannesburg after another departure fiasco.
That development has seen the team miss two valuable days of training ahead of Friday’s must-win clash.
This is sad.I hope this is not a bad omen and I also hope it is not the Ghanaians playing mind games on us in order to intimidate us before we even kick the ball.
Our government is letting us down.
…by the way, we are now married and Nick is broke.
Did you guys expect the drama much later in the field? Just use another route they are already playing mind games, use reverse Psychology its the best weapon for any tormenting mind games, mean while Ghana can hang together with Jay jay for all i care!
There is no smooth path to victory. We are wining
As I said on the cancellation of BA flights into Zambia, I again want to challenge our Foreign Ministry on this. Zambia has been taken for granted for too long. How can the DRC or the other Congo which was mentioned in the previous story, take so long to clear the chartered aircraft, when their trucks from South Africa pass through Zambia on daily basis and we cannot reciprocate the bad deed? And also FIFA and CAF, where is the Fair Play that you are always advertising. Fair Play should not only be administered on the field. It should also be observed on cases like this. Ghana should be admonished for behaving un-professional. As an older nation, I expected much better from Ghana.
Kumasi my ass, we will show you what we are made of. Cock suckers!!!
foot ball is not play on the net.coming friday after 20gmt u ll see a total footbal.we are here in kumasi waiting we are not going to intimedate anybody we are one people.
This is a blessing, go Chipolopolo go..!
Faz some how you have yourselves to blame on this one.
1. You decided to abandon your earlier plans of camping in west Africa due to bla bla bla, what did Ghana do when they were about to play us?… They camped in S.A.
2. you sent an advance party to Ghana for what reasons? Am sure they were in a better position to advise you on logistics related issues which alas they failed to do.
3. Please learn to plan ahead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! fyola!!
they are lucky, in developed countries they would be sacked!!!FAZ is in the business of organising football matches and they have been failing. In 93 we lost the team because of these chancers!!!
nefimakongole filetumpa nafyo.
these french speaking countries are full of @#^^*!
two days is just too much to miss for this crucial encounter.
Lol! @Mature, Ghana is not french speaking but use the language u’ve used here. Hahahaha. I hav known u nw.
@Ibu, Mature meant because the Congolese refused the Zambian chartered plane to refuel there, read again before you condemn him. Go Zambia go
This situation we find ourselves in due to our “competent FAZ” is like Going to work/appointment late, then finding red traffic lights all over the way. Question is, are you going to insult the traffic lights or the authorities for putting up traffic lights on the intersections?
Ghana hosted AFCON 2008, kumasi was one of the host cities, even as far as back then teams flew in only during the day, and with smaller planes.
Kumasi is a small airport meant for only domestic flights ( THIS IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE)
I’m sorry but it looks like FAZ didn’t do their homework well.
It goes to underline the fact that: you need people in FAZ who are knowledgeable in other faculties, other than just kicking the ball. It may be ball business, but you need some brains, too.
If Rene goes, I am ready and willing to take over. Though I may not have kicked a ball in my life time, I can be a good couch (and strategist, too). … Hope Faz are ‘listening’ to this.
This is not surprising at all. Zambia always fail to rise to the occasion when it comes to international engagements. A couple of years ago they came to London unprepared and disorganised to play in a friendly match.
It’s about time the entire lot at the FAZ including their president are replaced by a more dedicated administration. The buck stops with Kalusha.
The morale of the players will be seriously affected by this mediocrity.
You will recall that they went to Lesotho by Bus (I nearly said by Zamfoot). If there is anything FAZ does not knows best; it is how to plan a successful trip to a football fixture. Just check their record, if you think I am wrong on this matter.
If that is true Ghana will lose 2-0 because our boys are eating Nshima every day and it makes the copper bullets stronger unlike the ghanaian fufu a concoction of rotten meat,yam and palma oil.go Zambia go.i suggest the bullets go by chopper and land in kumasi stadia straight from Zed and beat them.we will also send william tekele banda,bowman lusambo and some Unza cadres.
Ghana wants a draw; that why they put the match in a town or village with inadequate infrastructure. It may prove to be a good strategy for them. But, it can also backfire, if Chipolopolo is carrying sharp bullets.
sad indeed?
Wishful thinking..hahahaha. If wishes were horses, beggars will ride
If wishes were horses, beggars will ride…hahahaha
Zambia has generally done well in adversity. They will soar up like an Eagle in its flight, proud and free!
We hope and pray, that will be so. It is a messy, isn’t it? A recurrent messy, that is!
I think all the comments and grunting should be directed to FAZ. Poor planning will always lead to poor results as such do not blame Ghana. I think Ghana will win by 4 goals
Come what may the day is ours they can do anything but us is winnig
Zambia is loosing the Ghana Zambia Word cup qualifier.
Yeah, with such inadequate Kumasi infrastructure. It is depressing! I guess, it was deliberately set up like that. Good for Ghana, though.
This is indeed sad, what happened to proper planning, we have played bin tgeir habds with kind games, what about camping in West Africa, what changed that???,
What homework? FAZ says the delay is caused by civil war prone DR Congo which has not cleared the plane up to now.
My dear Zambians, fellow Africans, I am tempted to say that this is perhaps a harbinger of the woes which will befall the K.K stars in Ksi on Friday, God willing. But I am a generous host and so wail with you in your unfornate misfortune. I looked forward to a spirited game by the K.K stars in Ksi and I hope that being ‘marooned’ at home will not cheat me of my Friday pleasure. On the other hand, the Ksi airport serves only domestic flights and this info is available freely on the internet, you do not need the CIA, Snowdon or wikileaks to know this! The FAZ is a horrible embarrassment. Good evening Zambians. From West Africa!
Why host a World Cup game in towns or villages with inadequate infrastructure? Who sanctioned this game? FIFA?
Incompetence by FAZ at best. Why have they been trumpeting the refusal of clearance to appear as if it was Ghana that was using underhand tactics?
This has nothing with FAZ
Stupid FAZ. Anyway they are served because the boys are winning anyways.
Disheartening news indeed!
Go play, lose and then fire the coach! Oh!! and don’t forget to fire the entire advance team as well..mmmm, why is Kalu not saying anything? does he know something that we don’t? Did he Fcuk UP big time? Is he scared of being replaced by shikulubantu for this ka fcuk up?
what do u expect when you have an illiterate sports minister who prides himself at how good he is at begging for sponsorship money for the team
The minister is not FAZ.you are dull indeed yourself.
Do not blame the sportsminister.This is a FAZ problem.All logistics should hv been put in place
Ba FAZ, why didn’t your boys camp in nearby Nigeria for the boys to acclimatize to the hot and high humid temperatures of West Africa? Instead you took them to RSA just the opposite weather of West Africa. Our boys will easily tire on the pitch. Watch this space…
FAZ and their couch Rene are in the habit of doing the opposite to common sense. I guess, they want to lose the game to Ghana. By the way, it will be a “goodbye” game for the couch. So, who cares?
Well spoken Tapiwa. Why is the national team always camping in South Africa, even when they are playing at home? FAZ is simply giving business opportunities to the boers instead of using local hotels/motels the way it was in the yester years. Someone in FAZ must be getting a cut from these camping trips. The game on Friday is in Ghana which is in west Africa, but FAZ takes the team to the extreme south of the continent. Pathetic Fools
Why play an international game (World Cup fixture, for that matter) in a tiny town, like Kumasi, with inadequate infrastructure? See now, the airstrip there can not accommodate even a 10 seat-plane. I hope clean drinking water in their hotel rooms is not inadequate, too!
Can you just google Kumasi? very simple! Its a city of 2 million people with an airport for DOMESTIC FLIGHTS… cant you read? The runway is being reconstructed. Why didnt they land in Accra and book a local flight? If you are ignorant dont take others with you. Your own people didnt plan well.
#selorm, I still maintain my position (call it ignorance, if you wish), towns or villages with inadequate facilities should not host World Cup matches. It is laughable really that even a 10 seat plane cannot land in the evening time on such occasions. Why didn’t they host in Acrra, then? Or the Airport there is closed at that time as well?
PLIZ LETS HERE U SPEAK WIT SENSE,EVEN IN MONGU GHANA CAN PLAY
stupid…kumasi is more developed than that village called ndola…..*****
On this matter u do not have to blem any1.FAZ is tring to make sure that nothing is happened to the boys.Dont just post rubbish and unsenless coments,mind u y are their insisting the boys to land in acre when a small has been secured?Think.Zambia is winning by 2-1 Go Zambia Go.
Wil somebody tell us,have the boys arrived?
I really do not see where the hitch is. CLEARANCE- How did the advance team go to Ghana? KUMASI AIRPORT UNDER REPAIRS- If the game is being played in Mazabuka and the airport there is under renovations, just fly to Lusaka or Livingstone and go to Mazabuka by bus or chartered plane. Lack of dedicated or serious planners is what is causing this hiatus.
Bushman (notably, from the mighty Obamaland — the big Apple), but why take all that trouble; just ask FIFA to host the games in cities/towns with better facilities. Otherwise, the next thing is that a team may be prompted to carry even mere drinking water to such deprived or inadequately ‘serviced’ locations. I know it is a strategy for the host nations to win games in such places, but it is a primitive one. We should aspire for better things even in the so-call sub-SAHARA. Otherwise we will forever remain “sub this, sub that…”. (In this case expect substandard performance by a stressed and frustrated team, drained even of drinking water.)
Ba FAZ hostilities like this were expected, your advance party has done us no good. The team must have been camped in Nigeria/Ivory Coast as earlier planned. Check the cost of going to camp in RSA, back track to lusaka & connect to Ghana. That is a waste of money. Can’t someone see this.
Now we have lost valuable time for training, strategising & resting as well. We are lossing because of FAZ’s inefficiency. Forget the dream of Brazil 2014.
You should have camped the team in Lagos so that the team also visits the Synagogue [TB.Joshua] for divine guidance.
HAVE JST SEEN PICTURES OF GHANA IN TRAINING IN KHUMASI,ITS A NICE STADIUM
Zambians should note that Kumasi is far bigger than Luzaka. The fact that the airport in Kumasi does not take huge aircrafts does not mean Kumasi is a village. If you care to know, Kumasi is Ghana’s second biggest city.
so where are the zambian players right now?
imwe bantu iyi bola ni fifty fifty,ati awe climatise fimo fimo.At the end of the day its wats gonna happen in ninety minutes ku kumasi.They have even called pipo that played for the team two,three and five your ago.You will tell me there game wont be co-ordinated and we will also be abit tired,They have most of their players playing in europe and they will also need to overcome the humid in kumasi.So at the end of the day its is who will use their initiative .
@mr.passeporte, for something you don,t – kumasi is not a v?llage nor small city.It is a big city with over 2million people.From accara[Southern] entry point to the northern end is over 45km so also is the eastern-western treck.nearly 50years since the local airport was constructed.Ghanaians are good people and there are no mind games.The airport is under rehabiliat?on. i feel sad for the poor arragements but blame FAZ for this
First thing, Zambians are trying to say that Lesotho and Sudan can do better at organizing than you because those two teams played their matches in Kumasi. They found their way there and you cannot. Secondly, Zambians forget that Kumasi is the city your national team stayed in during the African Cup of Nations in Ghana in 2008. Go and demand answers fom your FAZ leaders.
Stop displaying your ignorance @ Mr Passeporte. Ghana has been playing all her world cup qualifiers in Kumasi (K’si) for well over 6 years now. This is because K’si people are passionate football lovers who fill the stadium for every Black stars match. It is good for the game as it affords a great atmosphere to watch football–just like we love to see when our favourite teams play all around the world. Last year, Ghana FA experimented with the idea of moving the world cup qualifiers back to Accra but the stadium was hardly filled on that occasion. Hence, it was taken back to K’si. Now concerning the Chipolopolos not being able to land in the K’si airport, it unearths gross efficiency on the part of the ZFA. How can they not be aware of developments at K’si airport? Absolutely…
EWURADI YESU! Tiwuii Paa Nie?
IGNORANCE + ILLITERACY
YOUR ENGLISH SUCKS AND YOUR ARGUMENT IS POINTLESS AND BASELESS. WHERE ARE THE EDUCATED ZAMBIANS?
LIKES OF MR PASSEPORTE AND MATURE ARE DISGRACE TO ZAMBIA.
Goodness ATR 42?? People, Ghana is far from Zambia, to use such a small Aircraft to cover such a trip?? FAZ are not serious, this is putting Players Life at Danger, refueling all the way??. Why didn’t they Hire at least a B737, sale seats to supporters as well?? Damn FAZ are dull they don’t think.
Wrong statement bloggers? arms up., Freaked out B737 is fine, well done on this one..
Wrong statement FAZ, Freaked out. Well done on the Plane size. B737 is just fine.
Must Zambians always show how illetrate n stupid dey r? If u dnt no abt Kumasi cant u google it n no abt de place? Callin Kumasi a small towm/village? I dnt tink u pple mean it. Cos if Lusaka n ur small small market-like settlement cud be classified as cities n even capital, how der u call Kumasi names. 4 ur information if u pple care to no, Ghana has at least 6 citiest which r of class dan ur so callled “Lusaka”(Accra,Kumasi,Sunyani,Tema,Secondi-Takoradi n Temale) If u dnt no abt these cities them google dem so that when u open ur month nxt time, u dnt talk rubbish, Aboafunu kwasiaba, chiiiiw