IT is so refreshing to the scribes! Bye Bye to the trouble of entailing FAZ when penning about the Super league. Usually, majority of the scribes have the pain of writing the full name of the Zambia’s top tier: MTN/FAZ SUPER LEAGUE. But next term, you only have to mention MTN, the league sponsors in your write ups.
The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) is de-linking itself from running the affairs of the league–which was probably among the few remnant of top tiers–run by the federation, in the world. This means, all and sundry, across the football sphere, prefers the federation staying away from decision making of the league, with the clubs themselves, calling the shots.
No doubt! this is the standard and the highway in modern day football. Major leagues; the English premier league, Spanish Laliga and the Germany Bundasliga are the pioneers of this particular system. And now the rest of us in Africa are subscribing to the MUZUNGU way of doing things, as usual.
The brutal reality in Africa, excluding South Africa and Nigeria, were honchos of the Premier Soccer league (PSL) and the League Management Company (LMC) are the federation’s Vice presidents–this particular system has been detrimental. The case study is Kenya and Zimbabwe, were there has been constant fightings between the the Association and the body which was entrusted to manage the affairs of the league.
The hurdle, to be precisely in Africa, is that after giving up authority to league managers, the federation will still want to interfere in decision making, simply because they are the sole organization recognized by FIFA as the custodian of football of any affiliated member association. The federation cannot entirely stay away from the league, because clubs needs them–for example when submitting names of the players for teams participating in Champions league and Confederation Cup–the Secretary General is needed to perform this role, according to CAF statues. The point I am trying to drive home is that, when adopting this system, the FA should only come to the fore when it’s mandatory.
It is said that the unending fiasco between the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and the Kenya Premiere league, triggered the departure of Supersport, which resulted in loss of jobs for many Journalists and robbed the players of the exposure, via TV coverage to the rest of the Sub-Sahara Africa.
In Zimbabwe, Supersport were according to grapevine on the verge of leaving when ZIFA and the PSL were antagonising each other over an iota issue regarding the number of clubs that were supposed to be relegated, last season. Such conflicts usually puts the Broadcasting right holder in an uncertainty realm, hence parting ways.
WHAT IS EXPECTED OF FAZ
It is good that FAZ Itself has resolved to liberate the clubs from it’s ruling, with an iron fist if you ask City of Lusaka. Unlike a situation were the clubs embark on engaging in a dialogue of liberation, but of course expecting the federation’s endorsement, so as to remain in the good books of FIFA and eventually CAF.
Andrew Kamanga and company should raise their right hands up, left gripping the BIBLE and swear of noninterference. Let the clubs chose their own CHAIRMAN (I can suggest the Chairman of the Super league title holders, Zesco United). Let the club hires their only Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and media team.
Media Accreditation should be handled by the Super league media team. Unlike the status of quo of doing things, were each club issues their own Accreditation Cards to Journalists and Pundits.
The ball is in your court–FAZ. Whether this system shall work out or be total failure, hurling a cat among the pigeons for a league that is on resurgence, depends on how the Football Association of Zambia conducts things. Be warned that conflicts will lead us to DOOM.
