Football fans worried Makembo

MATHEWS NDANDULA writes THE Zambia Sports Fans Association (ZASPOFA) president Peter Makembo has urged the warring parties to quickly set a date to reconcile all the issues. Speaking in an interview Pastor Makembo said fans do not want to see Zambia being banned hence the need to resolve the wrangles which have centred around the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ). “This issue has disturbed us a lot ,for yesterday s meeting we saw how ready FAZ and government it’s only the aggrieved parties which were not ready and requested for a neutral date it’s our prayer that FIFA conveys that meeting with a date assigned to all the parties involved to avoid some finger pointing there because we may see ourselves going back to the courts we don’t want that as it was guided that these issues can be resolved outside the courts so we expect them to come out with that guidance of resolving the issues outside the court so FIFA should not delay,” he said.  “As you know October is around the corner and we will be looking at preparing for the competition ahead of us we want to go with the committee chosen by the people because Football association of Zambia has to go for an annual general meeting where they will elect the office bearer.  “It has to take place as of now it can’t commence as there is a court injunction which needs FIFA to come in and iron it out, the sooner the better for us,” he said. “As you know that we are moving in the Covid-19 saga and again we will have another Covid-19 in the name of FAZ wrangles. That is what we don’t want because we are already affected. If we are not careful we may be banned and we need to avoid that at all cost we can’t isolate ourselves from what is happening in the sporting arena with the world,” said Pastor Makembo. Zambia is expected to play Botswana back to back later in November for Africa Cup qualifier. Meanwhile according to the letter sent by FIFA to the football association of Zambia on dated 1 September 2020, FIFA states that the meeting could not go ahead as the aggrieved parties did not provide their contact details to FAZ in order to send an invitation to the video conference. “With reference to our letter dated 28 August 2020 by means of which we proposed to hold a video conference today at 10:00 am (Zurich time) with several participants, we have taken note that the alleged aggrieved parties to the on-going electoral process did not provide their contact details to FAZ in order for our services to send an invitation to the said video conference. In this context, we regret to inform you that we are not in a position to hold the relevant e-meeting today. We shall reschedule it as soon as we receive from FAZ the full contact details (especially e-mail addresses) of the relevant aggrieved parties. We thank you for taking note of the above and for forwarding the present correspondence to the relevant invitees,” reads the FIFA letter. The Sun