AS Zambia bids to stage the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) has given the nation thumbs up for hosting a successful COSAFA Senior Challenge Cup.
COSAFA 2013 organising committee chairperson, Timothy Shongwe said Zambia did an excellent job in hosting the revived regional tournament and that the nation had proved it had the capacity to stage major international events.
Shongwe said the political will shown by the Zambian government made it easier for the organisers to host a successful tournament.
Shongwe said during a Press briefing at Moba Hotel in Kitwe on Friday evening that without participation of Government, the 2013 COSAFA Cup could have been a flop as organising events of such magnitude was a difficult task.
He said Government provided the organisers with all the necessary assistance needed timely, thereby easing the problems which they had faced and also hailed Zambians for the support rendered to the event, saying they made the visitors feel at home.
“The Zambian government played a big role in ensuring the 2013 COSAFA Cup is a success. Government provided us with all the assistance. The co-operation we got from Government and the Zambian people has been fantastic. Zambia has the capacity to host major international events.
If tomorrow we need to come up for another tournament, all we need is just the political will,” he said.
Shongwe said even after some of the invited guest nations pulled out of the tournament, the organisation and participation of the teams made it a success.
He said COSAFA never received any major complaints from all participating nations and that transport was also well coordinated between Lusaka and the Copperbelt.
COSAFA president, Suketu Patel said the 2013 COSAFA Cup would live a legacy of being one of the best-organised after regional body struggled to stage the tournament since 2009.
Patel said this year’s event had created a platform for the region to have more tournaments and also acted as a stepping stone for the upcoming players.
He said the 2013 COSAFA Cup generated a lot of interest from across the globe, enjoying media coverage across Africa and Europe.
“We are realistic that we are not at UEFA level but keen to develop southern African football,” he said.
Patel hailed the media for the role they played in publicising the tournament, saying for the first time the COSAFA was also on social networks, facebook and twitter with Zambians leading the usage of these facilities.
He said the partnership between the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation and SuperSport had made to expose the COSAFA Cup to the outside world, surpassing the expectations of the southern African regional body.
“We would like to thank journalists for the role, you’ve played to make this tournament a success. COSAFA is happy with the achievements scored. The teams also have done their part and should be commended,” Patel said.
The COSAFA chief also said while the tournament provided a chance to teams in the regional to showcase their potential, it was still impossible for the event to be on the world governing body, FIFA calendar.
Patel, however, said FIFA recognised the COSAFA Cup as a senior national team tournament.
And freelance photographer, Jean Mandela was voted the best photographer at the 2013 COSAFA Cup tournament, earning himself R10,000 (about K5,500).
Zimbabwean reporter, Peter Kanjere picked up the print media accolade also carrying a R10,000.
OK, thanks to you too for trusting our hardworking PF government. We want to do even more…
Congrats Kambwili, Kalu & team for the job weldone.2019 IS OURS !
It was a wonderful tournament! Thumbs up to government, organizing committee and FAZ
Well done Zambia! now we just need to improve on how the football matches are televised. ZNBC, you need to up your game in shooting these games. We are slowly upgrading our stadiums and equally you guys need to improve on the quality of service. I hope government will also focus on linking these beautiful stadiums by modern railway to easy congestion and road accidents during big events. We have come a long way but to see Levy packed to capacity with green and orange is breath taking. The organising committee for 2019 AFCON should kick start prep work now. Let’s organise this with our friends from South Africa so we can set very high standards.
I wud lik 2 congrates de chipolopolo 4 a beautiful play n 4 becomin de first In de COSAFA race.Last year we won de AFCON n dis year COSAFA wich iz 2 our advantage as a nation becoz n’t onl de FAZ iz benefiting,bt as a Nation 4 dis iz also a sign of Development in de score sector in Zambia.
This is the initiative of MMD carried forward by PF just like many other projects across the country. HR came under MMD, and all the players started playing soccer in MMD, not even a single player was trained or started soccer in PF neither did FAZ president Kalu , they all came from MMD. so thumbs up to MMD
are u joking man or u re serious?…do u know that successive gvts in the world usually don’t throw away all the ideas laid by others…if MMD did the same in 1991..zambia wud be a giant in Africa by now
Shikulu you have a problem. You can as well give thumbs up to UNIP! When govts go they go and if the next govt doesnt want continue with their programs they can do so but the PF govt has staged a successful tournament and you cant take that away from them bwana anyoko. Viva PF
Sorry, MMD has done nothing, I mean absolutely nothing for this country. Instead they plundered the economy. Look at what the immediate past president is going through, all because MMD is a very dishonest party. PF will achieve far much more in 5 years than MMD ever did in twenty years. The earlier we forget about this repulsive party of crooks the better for our collective peace of mind.
If you say MMD did nothing then you are saying SATA and the PF did nothing under MMD because all the PF came from MMD. its a pit that some of you cant see these things, its like balimilowa with blindness,
@6.1 Muzazamusangu, walasa! !!! Ga’dam!
It is William Shongwe, not Timothy
Kambwili is workalic. He gets what he wants not what he is given. If all ministers are up to speed as him the president will have peaceful nites at state house. Thumbs up nebor. Viva luanshya MPs.
Good to see our mother nation doing so well.Keep it up boys and King Kalu as well.
thumps up to the boys and HR, all we need now is focus on Ghana.
Can someone in authority tell levy mwanawasa stadium management that their PA system is the worst on earth; they brought sound boxes fit a cabin(akaboba). Please improve on this one.
I appeal to all brainwashed primitive zambians to stop worshipping and supporting skilless english premier league teams.
Its such tonaments such as cecafa which has made teams like uganda and kenya. So cosafa shud be supported by the regional companies.pls find sponsors to make surecwe have it yearly. Football will improve in southern africa. Look how southern africa is strugling to go to thecworld cup. Find sponsors and next time put them on the vanners as well. I didnt see a mcm or faz logo behind the stadium banners. It was all castle.
Ok congrats Zambians….Where’s Moba Hotel? The last time I was in Kitwe the roads were terrible and horrible. Were they all repaired for COSAFA?
Foolish you!!
Clearly the one who is foolish is you Wasanga. The guy is just asking questions and your response is a fart. Ukutumpa
well, unity is all need to be where others ar. well done zambia
What was Kalusha’s personal contributions to COSAFA?? The guy has done nothing!
Jealous
He did alot!! You’ll die with jealousy while Great Kalu keeps moving forward.
2 days after the COSAFA victory the usual whiners are still missing. Where have they fled to? Had Zambia lost they would have been pontificating about this and that.
Congrats to everyone who was involved in organizing the event for the job well done!!
I would like to hear from JAY JAY whats your view of FAZ and Kambwili hosting a successful COSAFA boss, landenipo naimweh…
Balilokwa