The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has announced that the friendly match between Zambia’s Chipolopolo and South Africa’s Bafana has been canceled.
In a statement made available to the media, FAZ said the match has been scheduled to the next FIFA Window and that the Zambia National Soccer team will instead travel to for a Friendly Match on Sunday.
Earlier in the day, South Africa media reported that Bafana Bafana’s friendly against Zambia could be called off this weekend due to xenophobic attacks.
According to SABC Sport’s journalist Thabiso Mosia, the encounter could be hanging in the balance due to the xenophobic attacks that have affected Johannesburg, where protesters and looters have targeted foreigners in different parts of Johannesburg over the past few days.
According to Mosia, the attacks had put pressure on Zambia Football Association ahead of Saturday’s match and that SAFA was currently trying to find a replacement opponent for this weekend if the match does not take place.
Below is the full statement put out by FAZ
FAZ cancels Bafana friendly
Press Statement
(For Immediate Release)
Football Association of Zambia
Football House, Lusaka
3rd September, 2019
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY RESCHEDULED
The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) wishes to inform members of the public that the international friendly match between Zambia and South Africa that was scheduled for National Heroes Stadium on Saturday, September 7, 2019 has been rescheduled to the next FIFA window.
FAZ General Secretary Adrian Kashala made the announcement in a statement saying that the decision was arrived at in consultation with the South African Football Association (SAFA).
For the current FIFA window, Zambia will play Namibia on September 9, 2019 in Windhoek.
The Chipolopolo is expected to leave for Namibia on Saturday 7Tth September 2019 and will return
For and on behalf of:
FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA
Mwazi Chanda
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Africa currently does not have proper leaders who can handle this situation. The behavior of the south African president is very disappointing in that he has failed to arrest this in human behavior which apparently he caused somehow in his campaign massages. AU, SADC and the like is a club for drinking tea at summits and do note serve the common man. What a shame, at least FAZ has done something to protest the barbaric behavior.
HH must be called in camp and be the captain and we play South Africa. Malema will be the captain of the other team, a friend to this privatization thief and money laundering chronic loser.
Not a good idea….dont give in to hate….love tramps hate……sports unites everyone
They should have let Bafana Bafana arrive in Lusaka, then inform them that sorry Chipolopolo are out to a more friendly country.
But the way it is, SAFA can claim that they cancelled themselves.
Namibia also fought for its independence from Zambia but they do remember. The South Africans don’t. They just discriminate against everyone outside of the artificial border that the blacks never made
Are Zambians so dumb that they don’t the effects of having a large urban underclass without skills and jobs? It’s already emerging in Lusaka and the Copperbelt in Zambia. Wht do u think those Jarebis are? Who invades a mining plant and start stealing ore? Is that morally different from looting shops?
how about the so called sadc whatever, what strong statement has issued? he travels all over Africa talking about he’s the chairman or whatever but when there’s an issue with a sadc member he’s mute.
next you’ll read that he’s flying to the Philippines or Ghana ….
they are all weak leaders. more countries should issue strong direct msgs, there’s no justification for what’s happening in sa.
it’s the illiterate lazy fools in sa doing this. they sit idle, drinking and smoking and they see people come into their neighborhoods and establish small things to support themselves, they can’t stomach that, even the police are very complaisant in dealing with the looters
how about the so called sa dc whatever, what strong statement has issued? he travels all over Africa talking about he’s the chairman or whatever but when there’s an issue with a sa dc member he’s mute.
next you’ll read that he’s flying to the Philippines or Ghana ….
they are all weak leaders. more countries should issue strong direct msgs, there’s no justification for what’s happening in sa.
it’s the illiterate lazy fools in sa doing this. they sit idle, drinking and smoking and they see people come into their neighborhoods and establish small things to support themselves, they can’t stomach that, even the police are very complaisant in dealing with the looters
This is a message to South Africa and Africa at large that Zambians will not stand by in silence and allow senseless killings and violence against foreigners living in that Country. “The world suffers a lot. Not because the violence of bad people. But because of the silence of the good people.” Napoléon. Well done FAZ, I hope other nations will emulate this stance.
We need protest and have nothing to do with South Africa. Let us isolate them. Enough is enough.
Unfortunately CAF and FIFA will never follow suit. It doesn’t have any effect. Did you know that FAZ is the loser in this saga? FAZ must reimburse for SA’s air tickets and accommodation which were already paid. Costly emotional decision.
Good move FAZ.
Sure good job FAZ
Ba FAZ naimwe ba government Lomba? Tiuzeni che wamene amiuza to cancel the game. Lungu olo minister wa sport?
FIFA might ban FAZ. FIFA doesn’t want politics in sport. If SAFA can lay a complain about FAZ with FIFA that’s the end of Mickey mouse FAZ.
I’m a high school dropout
Xenophobic South Africans call us “makwerekwere ” .That’s one country i’d never visit i’d rather tour north Korea .
South African savagery can’t be solved by FAZ and SAFA
its good that it has bn cancelled cos some zambians whose their relatives had brutalised are also bitter who would like to revenge. so for bafana bafanas safety. well done faz for considering human beings inportant than soccer
African Union-Dont treat South Africa like a your Beautiful prostitute YOU had in bed last Night and is cought in the act with a married man. Because YOU fear to be noticed by your wife, YOU want to keep quite.
We need YOU to discipline that nation for their disregard of Human Rights Charter and they signatories to many Regional and International Human rights protection agreements. This country has been the only country victimizing foreigners in the name of securing jobs. Its a pitty that Most South Africans are an educated yet they want to be employed highly. We as Zambia helped South Africans during their struggle against White minority rule and Arptheid. They Now pay us with evil for the Good we did to them. These ARE savages and Barbaric people who are not grateful. It hates to see…
AU can YOU sanction South Africa. The government has completely failed to address this situation of Xenophobia. Its has been repeating and the next thing YOU would witness is the vengeance from other with affected citizens and YOU will have a bush fire to quench instead of just a fire outbreak. This behave by South Africa, if not teamed would fragilize the peaceful situation in most African countries who would want emirate what South Africans are doing. I am humbly asking the AU to convene an urgent Security Council meeting to find a lasting solution to what is happening in South Africa. I also would like to suggest punitive measure against South Africa government, Let them compensate the affected individuals and families. They have indirected fueled this Situation, through their failure…