THE Zambia Premier League (ZPL) ad hoc committee has said the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has lost out on an opportunity to dialogue after the national football governing body refused to meet the conditions set by Premier Division clubs to call off the league boycott.
But FAZ has maintained that the league is closed and matters to do with the outcome of the 2010 Premier League season were being dealt with by disciplinary sub-committee and was beyond the secretariat jurisdiction.
ZPL ad hoc committee chairperson Kephas Katongo said in an interview yesterday that the dialogue that FAZ president Kalusha Bwalya was calling for from the petitioners had to have a starting point and the bid to call off the boycott was one such juncture.
Katongo said it was now very clear that the Kalusha administration did not want to dialogue and the ZPL together with other petitioners would now chart the way forward at the November 26 emergency council meeting (ECM) set for Hotel Inter-Continental in Lusaka.
“There has to be a point of discussion but FAZ has decided that we are a voice from the wilderness. Let them avoid us at their own peril. Our proposal to call off the boycott was an opportunity for dialogue,” he said.
Katongo said calling off the boycott was done in the interest of the sponsors, players, fans and other stakeholders but that the defiance by FAZ not to meet their conditions made the clubs stay away from the season closing matches.
The 2010 Premier League season closed prematurely last weekend as the two warring factions in FAZ failed to reach a consensus on the days to play the Week 30 matches as the ZPL ad hoc committee wanted to play the closing matches today (Wednesday 17), while FAZ insisted the matches were supposed to have been played last Saturday.
He said since the boycott was meant to press for the ECM, after getting the two-thirds threshold, the clubs offered to call off the boycott but that with FAZ refusing to budge, clubs decided to stay put.
“We have the numbers so what was there to continue with the boycott for? We gave them our conditions to call off the boycott, they refused; so our next course of action will be to decide the fate of our local game during the ECM,” he said.
Katongo said the defiance by FAZ was only aggravating the situation adding that even the proposal to harmonise the two meetings called by FAZ and the petitioners would not be possible without dialogue.
The former Roan chairperson, who is now heading demoted community-based side, Lusaka Dynamos added that FAZ appeared less willing to compromise even when it was clear that the current impasse in the local game was retarding the progress Zambia had scored in the recent past.
FAZ communications manager Erick Mwanza said the secretariat staff was only waiting for the disciplinary committee to finalise the final league standings and that teams that boycotted matches knew the consequences.
Mwanza said as far as the association was concerned, the 2010 season closed at the weekend and that no more matches would be played.
The verdict that would be passed by the disciplinary committee next Wednesday is final.
ZPL ad hoc committee directed Premier Division clubs to boycott league matches but FAZ reacted by docking points teams that did not travel to fulfil fixtures saying the ZPL was not registered anywhere.
[ Times of Zambia]
Who cares. Ba Zambia makula anyway !
This is treason. Katongo should resign for falling to lead the Zambia Premier League, instead he mislead them. How is he going to clean up the mess? Even the CECAFA the boys will lose because they haven’t been active because of Katongo, Simata and Mukoka of The Post sports. It is pure treason.
Can someone advise me if Katongo is normal or what?
Hes sayn the boycott of game was 2press 4ECM..they get the ECM and now he sets another condition 4FAZ. Katongo must realise hes not a legal person as far as the FAZ constution is concerned. I guess people will realise after their 26 Nov ECM that after all Simaata and their groups were just havn a gathering with no official mandate 2take over power..As far as FIFA is concerned, Kalu is legally occupying the FAZ office
Iwe mwebantu the boycot of games was to press for FAZ to convern the ECM. When FAZ refused signatures were collected which automatically triggers the need of the very ECM FAZ was not willing to hold. So there was no more need to boycot the Games. Now FAZ kept on issuing threats and suspending officials they percieved to be behind the calling of ECM. NOW the broader picture is even Premier teams Joined in. So The Kalu lead executive has been thrown into turmoil by it’s own action. The premier league teams are lead by big companies Simataa, Mukonka or Mwelwa cannot bulldoze these sponsors. So many things went wrong in FAZ. Wait for Kalu to be kicked out you the pipo supporting him will be shocked what he has done. He gave his wife to negotiate sponsorship deals without approval frm…
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without approval from the the other executive committee members. This is un ethical single sourcing just liek RB (capital company on Zamtel) & Mulongoti on Road sector rehab by Chinese companies without following Tender Procedure and sidelining local companies).
kalu held FAZ like a personal to holder company and looked upon other executive members like time wasters who should dance to his tune. Now he shall dance to our tune.Kalu runs FAZ by remote control. Hayato & Serp Blatter are based at CAF & FIFA headquaters but Kalu was perpetual absentee Landlord. Spent too much time on Supersport analyzing inconsequential games when some of his free time could have been spent meeting & engaging the other committee memebers.Kalu was a great player Failed Mgr
No1 & 2 you don’t follow ZED football, and for your information Katongo is a qualifed Lawyer,
Who cares about Zed football,last time i checked i big match cant even fill up a stadium.People have resorted to becoming musicians in Zambia,everyday i hear a new song then thats it
football is doomed as long as kalusha is involved. he failed as a player to bring any silverware and he has failed as small president. good he has been forced to step aside. in zambia we have failed in football bcos children who were born yesterday angola south africa have been to world cup and won africa cup in case of south africa. Us even cosafa we lose
No trophy as national team player and captain, next abwela atuna penalty as technical director of FAZ, and now for the first time, the Zambian football league has closed prematurely due to poor administration by FAZ…….need i go on? Galu has failed lamentably….and has not given back to Zambia – elt him give us FAZ back NOW!!!!
All you saying Kalusha has contributed nothing to the development of Football in Zambia are just hypocrites. True, the boy is not a saint but honestly how can a right thinking true football fan claim all Kalu has done for Zambian Football is rubbish? Some of you are just John come lately muppets who know nothing about football. Keep politics out of the beautiful game!
A few facts:
Supersport deal was not signed by Kalusha but Mulonga. Kalu just extended it.
Katongo is a Lawyer by profession but does not practice. He is a manager for his dad’s mini-bus fleet NDL 22. It is common knowledge in Ndola that he beats his dirvers like a kaponya.
Pivoty is just a ‘Ndola Katondo’ guy. He has a sports shop which apparently has just been fully stocked after he became FAZ excutive member. The story of clearing goods using FAZ Letter Head ….
Are these the guys to trust to Football affairs. Kalu is not perfect, but FAZ is no longer a perpertual beggar, and if you are old enough you should remember the days of bailiffs pouncing all the time
#10 vitali just tell me one thing that galu has done for you if not just milking you. you go to faz house their is no silverware zero. we have never been to world cup. we onlt reached africa cup finals in 1994 lost to nigeria. kalu has failed the nation but just stealing and doing cheap deals he cant even cover his arse
Chi Great Galu………u have spoiled soccer in Zambia never was there such trouble at FAZ than this chi Dictator ata
You see this katongo guy is now crying for dialogue after realizing that the boycott did nothing for them.these teams must bear the consequences of there actions and i wish they reaslize that illegal groups like ZPL are not recognized,since when did you hear of this before the rebels started the mad behavior?