The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Copperbelt Provincial Executive has joined efforts with the Ministry of Education to start the School’s Football League for U15 and U17 boys and girls.
FAZ Copperbelt has already handed over 300 footballs to Copperbelt Education Authorities for distribution to Primary Schools.
FAZ Copperbelt Provincial Vice Chairperson Gabriel Kaunda and Copperbelt Senior Education Standards Officer Patrick Nyondo officiated at the launch during the Zambia Schools Sports Association (ZASSA) Copperbelt annual general meeting in Ndola on Friday.
“From time immemorial, the bedrock of Zambian football has always been in our schools. The classroom and the school pitch have produced some of the finest talents this country has ever celebrated. In the 1970s right up to the late 1990s, the title “School Boy International” was not just a badge — it was a dream chased and fiercely pursued by many young footballers across Zambia,” Kaunda read the speech on behalf of FAZ Copperbelt Chairperson Patrick Ndhlovu.
“This initiative to revive structured schools football is not only welcome — it is necessary. It is long overdue. But for it to succeed, all stakeholders must come on board. Government alone cannot do it. FAZ alone cannot do it. ZASSA alone cannot do it,” Ndhlovu said.
He spoke against the ugly face of age cheating and the use of non-school-going players saying integrity must define this revival of school football.
“If we get this wrong, we destroy the very foundation we are trying to rebuild. Let me take this opportunity to challenge all sports teachers present here today: take advantage of these FAZ coaching programmes. Acquire coaching badges. Upgrade your knowledge. Modern football demands modern training. When teachers are empowered, learners benefit.”
“The revival of school football is not a ceremonial exercise. It is a national duty. It is a generational investment. If we get it right, the Copperbelt will once again become a conveyor belt of talent to our national teams,” Ndhlovu concluded.
I think FAZ and government should sit down and study the American college formula and devise a local system along those lines.
World champion Hurdler, Samuel Matete could help since he is a product of that. The South Africans also have a rugby curriculum that we can study. Just donating 300 balls won’t be of much help because it still treats the game as just a pastime. Yet we have Kalusha, Patson Daka, Fashion Sakala who earn a living from football. Let’s take sport seriously Its a gamechanger
Sport can solve unemployment. We need technocrats who can wake up our government. They have an archaic view of employment. Yes exploit the expertise and experience of our sports exports and build a budding industry
What is the business model in American basketball league, baseball league, football league?