By Kalumiana Kalumiana
FIFA has warned that the Football Association of Zambia now faces the serious threat of an international ban after the National Sports Council of Zambia (NSCZ) stated it was mandated to oversee the process of the elections.
NSCZ proposed to FIFA that since it does not recognise the FAZ executive after February 28, there should be a committee appointed before the March 29 annual general meeting in Livingstone to oversee the transition and would not recognise the executive committee from approving the financial statements.
FIFA Chief Member Associations Officer, Elkhan Mammadov stated in a letter yesterday to FAZ general secretary Reuben Kamanga that Zurich considers NSCZ’s proposal an act of third-party interference.
“We refer to your letter dated 27 February 2025, which contained the letter of the Director/CEO of the National Sports Council of Zambia (Sports Council), also dated 27 February 2025, in which he proposed the following steps: the establishment of a transitional committee; the establishment of an independent electoral committee; FIFA engagement; and a comprehensive review of the electoral process,” Mammadov stated.
“In this context, we would like to remind you that every member association of FIFA is statutorily obliged to manage its affairs independently and without undue influence from third parties, including governmental bodies (cf. art. 14 par. 1 let i) and art. 19 par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes).
“Any breach of this obligation may lead to sanctions provided for in the FIFA Statutes, even if the third-party influence was not the fault of the member association concerned (cf. art. 14 par. 3 of the FIFA Statutes).
“As a result, should this Transitional Committee be indeed established, FAZ would be at risk of breaching the abovementioned statutory provision. Should this happen, FIFA will have no other option but to submit the matter to its relevant decision-making body for consideration and decision, which might also include the suspension of FAZ.”
Meanwhile, FAZ general secretary Reuben Kamanga stated that Football House would go ahead and present its financial statements in line with FIFA guidelines.
“As per constitutional requirement, Exco must approve the financials before they are sent to the members. We are on course for the March 29, AGM with all the constitutional requirements fulfilled as per FIFA approved roadmap,” stated Kamanga.
