March 6, 2010
FAZ Communications Officer & Spokesperson Erick Mwanza
by Augustine Mukoka, The Post Newspapers
UNTIL Ashford Mamelodi’s statements on Thursday, I was wondering what criteria FIFA employed to rank associations as professed by FAZ general secretary George Kasengele during his recent presentation to a parliamentary committee on sports.
Under normal circumstances, ratings are displayed to show the position the subject would occupy.
A similar situation arose last year when someone told us that the Zambian league was ranked something like number eight on the continent.
Not that it’s impossible but the authenticities of the two situations are very important in shaping the development process of our game.
And when FAZ communications officer Erick Mwanza added his voice to this weekend’s FIFA retreat for executive committee members, it prompted enough reason to counter check the information.
I found Erick’s statement, like in most cases, an exaggeration aimed at twisting a simple and straightforward mission to suit a particular thought.
Most of FIFA’s development programmes in Africa are not a secret and implementations of programmes in affiliate countries are well documented.
To suggest that FIFA officials were visiting Zambia to review Kasengele’s performance is a plain falsehood. And now it has backfired in his face.
It has further raised concern on the credibility of Kasengele’s submission to parliament. Of course, Erick was attempting to sway the support the petition to review Kasengele’s performance at the March 27 annual general meeting has garnered. But look at how shameful that lie has been repelled.
I’m sure you know what FIFA regional development officer Ashford Mamelodi’s response was to FIFA’s visit this weekend.
I actually regret risking believing Kasengele’s presentation to parliament because I thought he was making a submission in the presence of his president Kalusha Bwalya who does not hide how much ‘connection’ he has at FIFA.
Kalusha should have corrected the position immediately his general secretary made a false presentation. There is serious emphasis from these committees not to mislead when witnesses are summoned to submit.
But Erick’s contribution was completely off the mark and Ashford helped us set matters as they should be.
As if by design, Ashford gives us a different story. He is not even aware of the review FAZ is talking about.
If anything, I was counter-checking the FIFA library so that I could be acquainted with the latest ranking of secretariats or is it football associations.
The search did not yield any success.
And Ashford spared us the trouble saying; “I’m not aware of that ranking of associations. FIFA does not rank associations. That information is wrong. We look at areas of need in the association and we help where we can.”
Of course, FIFA did not start looking at needy areas of associations yesterday, better still two years ago.
If that was the case, there will be no Football House on Alick Nkhata Road today or the FIFA technical centre near Independence Stadium not to mention the artificial playing surface at Independence Stadium.
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To the three FIFA goal projects, add the US $250,000 grant that is specifically meant to enhance development for women football, coaches, referees, youth and administration. This fund is disbursed quarterly and also audited by FIFA. It’s not a secret.
In my view, that is the point Ashford was emphasising ahead of the retreat. I’m sure the delegation will be open to new ideas for consideration in future programmes.
Unfortunately, both Erick and Kasengele think we still live in an era where drums at the next village would be used to communicate a message. No!
In today’s modernised world, it takes little time to verify things. When it comes to such presentations before parliament, there is need to attach great importance because they are not for window-dressing.
Just over a year ago, Ashford was in the country on a heavily-funded FIFA programme to find modalities of separating the administration of the league from the football association.
And if the review were conducted every six months, there would be progress on the formation of the National Football League.
The Chisamba Declarations was as a result of FIFA funding and Ashford was in the country at the time to speerhead the process.
About five years ago, Ashford – on his countless visits to Zambia – conducted a workshop at Ndeke Hotel in Lusaka at which this same National Football League was discussed.
Ashford’s recent visit on this subject added a new dimension by giving birth to the Cephas Katongo-led ad-hoc committee. But Katongo’s team have found making progress almost impossible because Kasengele and Kalusha are not for the idea.
Kasengele and Kalusha presented their misgivings to parliament about the formation of the National Football League. That is not a problem but I asked myself why FAZ agreed to even establish an ad-hoc committee for this particular assignment if there were misgivings?
After all, it is nothing new. It has been discussed several times in the last decade. The funds used for the almost abandoned Chisamba Declaration should have been channelled elsewhere instead of a project that we know has little chances of taking off under this administration.
Anyway, it’s a question of priorities. That’s is why Kasengele can even buy luxury vehicles, without following tender procedure, for an association we have been made to understand is perpetually cash-strapped.
And you expect a sober mind to believe that FAZ is reviewed every six months?
Specifically on Kasengele’s performance, Ashford says:
“We haven’t received anything on that and if we learn of such through other means we can’t act. We give FAZ autonomy to act unless we are approached but if they are quiet we assume all is well.”
If Ashford and the FIFA delegation were coming to review the performance of the FAZ secretariat, Kasengele to be specific, the response would have been different.
Ashford would have been categorical and made Zambians believe his delegation was actually travelling for this particular assignment.
But like he explains, the FAZ, whose supreme body is the council enjoys the autonomy to deal with its own issues.
And rightly so, councillors have petitioned Kasengele based on provisions in the FAZ constitution. I do not understand how desperate Kalusha is to keep Kasengele at Football House even in the face of these glaring irregularities. Your guess is as good as mine.
Many thanks to Ashford for the apt clarification, otherwise it is becoming increasingly difficult to believe what officials at Football House say if they can take their lies as far as parliament.
By the way, I was thinking that Esther Phiri has gone far afield in search of sparring partners. Little did she know that the US $20,000 rich outing could have been taken care of locally.
Kasengele and Kalusha have recently proved to be proficient sparring partners.
I’m sure Kasengele and Kalusha are capable of helping Esther win the WIBA light welterweight title from their few ‘boxing moments of brilliance.’
Esther, not officials or football followers that visit Football House or such platform, is in dire need of competitive sparring partners which Kasengele and Kalusha can adequately handle.
Actually, Esther’s trip to the beaches of Miami should have been improvised in Siavonga where Kasengele and Kalusha, who seem to re-invent playing football from using legs to hands, by showing their prowess in blows were going to be invited for spontaneous appearances.
Kasengele’s behaviour at Football House on Tuesday where he manhandled a Livingstone-based official Patrick Kasoka is an ugly way of welcoming the FIFA delegation.
But it’s good for Ashford and his friends to know that punching the ball is no longer a preserve for goalkeeper in the 18-yard box in Zambian football circles but all major players.
Kasengele and Kalusha are the pioneers of this new rule.
That’s how brilliant the secretariat has fared in the last six months to earn an imaginary fifth position on the ranking by FIFA, according to the gospel of Erick.
I’m sure Kasengele’s secretariat is also ranked in the top five by FIFA in the numerous player transfer deals we have been treated to.
May the petition go on bearing in mind that those advancing this point are dealing with, like I highlighted three weeks ago, a sophisticated cartel.
9 Comments on "Thanks Ashford"
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chimfwembe on Sat, 6th Mar 2010 12:10 PM
zambian football is all comedy…we seriously dnt have any competent person to run the FA?..god help us
Winston on Sat, 6th Mar 2010 1:27 PM
Its pity that instead of having a SWOT analysis per previous AFCON, as usual Zambian way of PHD is prevailing! I really feel very sorry that highly learned people can actually be the one in the front of mud-slidding to friends! I wonder where have we gone wrong with this scandolous reporting, mispresentation! Is it the freeness of our modern life that ther is no confidentiality to our managing of organisations? I bet if remain the way we are I can assure everyone that we gonna go two steps backward! FAZ through the executive must appraise every staff and certainly under-performance for a public office is unacceptable! But as we head for AGM let us put our heads to focus on how we improve our football, is it National League! On National League, I feel as Zambians we must all be the first ones to know the bottlenecks before targeting at Kalu or GS blocking everything! For what material benefit anyway!! The fact is most Zambian clubs have no viable operating offices where as stakeholders can acquint ourselves! Say players registered, club history, or trophies let alone web site for cyber communication! For that let us be realistic when we blame Kalu or GS and certainly I do not belief most reporting about these officers! Some scribes are targeting bringing down this executive come what may! This is dertrimental to Zambian football because instead of ‘selling’ our players in our writing, always its FAZ!!!! Gentlemen, PHD is for unschooled! If you have solutions to current standards, why dont you prepare a manual for all of us to learn from than having hundreds of hate articles!
Jeremiah on Sat, 6th Mar 2010 2:23 PM
i totally agree with you,i find the post filled with biased reporters who target individuals to sale there paper.These diploma holders are nt ethical and its unfortunate we view them on dis site.I find this administration doing well so far apart frm a few mistakes bt look at da bigger picture,zambia is progressing football wise.Shame the post!
Jimmy on Sat, 6th Mar 2010 2:59 PM
Did Arshford Mamelodi not mention that dispite FIFA not having a system of ranking associations, they still acknowledged the progress and the potential that FAZ has shown.
So why must Mukoka only concetrate on one line materials. Lets get rid of theses secondary school debates and reports and rather focus on issues that will bring development. The pursuit of mistakes from individuals will not take us anywhere but really compromise the perception of our media.
Kalusha state in his state of Faz address when anvailing the jersey, that FAZ would take responsibility in seeing the players` movement and performance outside the national team in order to see the steady growth of soccer. Why therefore, must we see it as KALUSHA intervention and not as FAZ dedication to the growth of soccer. Grudges will not take us anywhere.
Mpongo on Sat, 6th Mar 2010 5:10 PM
Jimmy, I think you are out of touch and do not understand the depth of how FAZ is meddling into football development. Kalu can not be everything in life and he should let experts do their job.
Matafwali on Sat, 6th Mar 2010 7:35 PM
In as much as one may question and have issues with the way the Post approaches and presents its stories, one can just not dismiss the allegations they are raising. One presenting before Parliament, I would think that you are under oath just as in court, and so when you make false or exaggerated presentations, there have to be some repercussions. When Kalu, during the unveiling of the new kit talked about how highly rated FAZ was in the estimation of FIFA, even I was thrown aback as I was at a loss to figure out what the basis of that rating is. Taking the saga of the transfers that dogs football house, one has to wonder what criteria FIFA used or what it was that they were actually rating the association on. Like everyone else, I would like to see our game improve, but that has to begin with the association that needs to put the interests of the game ahead of their own interests.
kayula on Sun, 7th Mar 2010 7:03 AM
Misleading a parliamentary committee by design or otherwise is a serious offence. If at all that is what happened, i see the SC been summoned again by the same committee and or they might recommend a serious penalty him.
Ku ma final on Sun, 7th Mar 2010 11:26 AM
Which experts! Simata mwebantu? Why was he reliefed of his job at Finance Bank…
johninho on Mon, 8th Mar 2010 9:56 PM
haaa its the post…cant believe this…the article was getting negative all the way till i checked the author, as usual?
there is so much negativity from this tabloid, plse zamfoot dont them quote we are tired of the negativity..
Personally i still have a copy of kalus speech on the said topic, it was a good speech, i cant see what the educated Mukoka is talking about. anyway by his standards rating is a very big issue especially if from his beater. Mukoka hasnt recovered from the concusion he suffered when he was hammered in the face in SA, i can give him a free mental assessment.