FIFA grant to be shared among clubs – Kamanga

FOOTBALL Association of Zambia (FAZ) presidential aspirant Andrew Kamanga says the US$250,000 annual grant the organisation receives from FIFA will be distributed to all the clubs if voted into office.
Kamanga said lower division clubs are struggling financially because they are funded from individuals’ pockets.
He was speaking during the Newsmakers Forum hosted by the Press Freedom Committee of The Post Newspaper at Southern Sun Hotel in Lusaka on Tuesday night.
The Football development grants also referred to as financial assistance programme established in 1999 are not meant for clubs but are used to develop infrastructure, youth football, technical development and training programmes.
Kamanga said each club should benefit from the grant because it is meant for football development.
“If each club gets even US$1,500 from that annual grant it can go a long way.
“Most clubs are struggling because they are funded by individuals,” Kamanga said.
He said there is need to revitalise the organs of FAZ for them to start functioning fully.
“If the FAZ arbitration was working effectively this thing about the legality of the reconvened meeting would not have gone to the National Sports Council of Zambia.

“It would have been dealt with by the arbitration,” he said.
And Kamanga said there is need to attract the corporate world into football.
He said football is big business with the potential to generate millions of dollars.
He emphasised the need to restructure the league and ensure youths get more involved in football.
Kamanga said his plan is for each province to have its own Division One.
He also said he qualifies to contest for the FAZ presidency because he has served at club level for more than five years.
Kamanga admitted that at the moment he does not belong to any club but can register any time if he wants to attend the FAZ AGM.
Meanwhile, Kamanga said the motion to restructure the league was defeated in Kabwe and it should not be on the agenda at the reconvened FAZ annual general meeting set for Lusaka on Saturday.

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