Waiting for FIFA

By MICHAEL MIYOBA and MUKWIMA CHILALABANNED Football administrator Damiano Mutale says he will heed the guidelines from NSCZ chairman Patrick Mutimushi to wait for FIFA representatives to resolve the issues at FAZ.Mutale, who is Damiano Academy FC proprietor described yesterday’s meeting with the National Sports Council as a success but couldn’t give more details of …

Waiting for FIFA
By MICHAEL MIYOBA and MUKWIMA CHILALABANNED Football administrator Damiano Mutale says he will heed the guidelines from NSCZ chairman Patrick Mutimushi to wait for FIFA representatives to resolve the issues at FAZ.Mutale, who is Damiano Academy FC proprietor described yesterday’s meeting with the National Sports Council as a success but couldn’t give more details of what was discussed.In an interview, Mutale however confirmed that the NSCZ urged sports administrators involved in the wrangles at FAZ to wait for FIFA members who are scheduled to visit Zambia to help resolve administration issues in the association.“Yes the meeting was there and it was fruitful. We met with the National Sports Council chairman and now it is just a matter of waiting for FIFA to come.“I can’t say much about the details of the meeting, all I can say is that it was fruitful and for now we have been told to wait for FIFA to come and resolve all this,” Mutale said.Mutale, former FAZ boss Kalusha Bwalya and Patson Lusaka through their lawyers Lewis Nathan Advocates on Wednesday asked the Minister of Sports to instruct outgoing FAZ president Andrew Kamanga to leave Football House by this Sunday.The three argue that Kamanga’s stay in office is illegal as his mandate ended on March 19, and that the general secretary was to take over the running of FAZ till elections are held.They also warned that they will take legal action if the FIFA Chief Member Associates Officer Veron Mosenga-Omba continues to advise FAZ to defy the court’s decision and asked the world governing body to respect the FAZ constitution.Mosenga-Omba is expected in Zambia soon to arbitrate over the FAZ wrangles and said the executive committee should remain in office till elections are held.“The aim of my visit will be to meet FAZ, representatives from the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development and the relevant football stakeholders to discuss the football situation in Zambia,” read the letter from FIFA in part.Meanwhile, the Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolutions of Disputes, (SACCORD) says it is yet to take an interest in the disputes at FAZ.SACCORD Executive Director Boniface Chembe said the organisation is consulting stakeholders before making a conclusive statement concerning the disputes at FAZ.FAZ has for the past few months been rocked by infighting with soccer administrators who sought recourse with various legal bodies.