Old giants Nkana and Mighty Mufulira Wanderers have given contrasting solutions on how the 2019/2020 FAZ league season should conclude due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The league has been on forced recess since mid-March due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has also seen all full-team training suspended.
Mighty CEO Chimwemwe Manda said a proposal to conclude the season behind closed doors may not be feasible especially for them at Shinde Stadium and believes that National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka and Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola were the only venues adequately equipped to stage matches of that nature.
“All these options come with terms and conditions. You have to look at contractual obligations we have to our players and workers then also our budget doesn’t go beyond June,” Manda told the Zambia Daily Mail.
“Then you have to look at expenditure too, I am not prepared to host a match behind closed doors when I am not getting anything out of it and I have to pay salaries and winning bonuses? It means spending money on nine games and nothing in retain.”
Mighty are currently battling relegation and are second from bottom with 14 points from 25 matches played with nine games left in their fight for survival.
However, Nkana believe the season must be concluded once the pandemic is contained and a delay start to the 2020/2021 season worked out.
Nkana are fourth on the table on 43 points, three behind leaders Forest Rangers from 24 games played.
“It is important that the league ends on the pitch and not board room, because we find ourselves in a situation where the top six are fighting for the top four places and the bottom six are fighting to survive,” Nkana CEO Charles Chakatazya said.
Both opinions are genuine, but the only solution on how the league will be concluded is when the deadly corona will completely disappear. I agree with the Maite CEO when she says the only grounds winch can stand the pressure of denying fans from watching the games are Levy and Heroes. Otherwise teams like Lumwana fc, Nakambala, petauke united will find difficulties to control their fans if the FA takes the playing under closed doors route.
They can extend the league until the games conclude which may be up to November or December. Then start the next season in the normal way in March 2021. If they want to stick to this European League that Africa was forced to adopt they should cancel this season and just wait to resume it in July 2020. This means all teams forget about the 2019/2020 season and just start afresh.no winners and no relegations. Iam very sure the English league will cancel this season in the same way because even if Liverpool look likely winners it would be un fair to relegate teams which havent completed their fixtures