By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –

THE Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has revealed that a second cup competition might be introduced next year to add to the Barclays Cup.
FAZ general secretary George Kasengele said the association was in talks with MultiChoice Zambia on the prospect of introducing a cup competition that would go down to the grassroots and possibly include amateur sides.
Kasengele said this yesterday when he appeared before the Elijah Mukuma chaired Parliamentary Committee on Sports.
He said that lack of cup competitions was a real worry for the association and that FAZ was keen on adding one more competition.
Presently, Zambia only has one competitive cup competition which is the Barclays Cup but its lack of inclusiveness which has made it unpopular with many clubs as only eight teams compete.
These include six teams from the Super League and one each from the Division One and South.
Zambia has not had a cup competition that encompasses lower divisions after the Mosi Cup which was won by Red Arrows dried up in 2007, even the Coca-Cola Cup which was introduced was for a few select teams.
Kasengele, who appeared before the Committee together with fellow secretariat staff Julio Chiluba, Samuel Phiri and Kabungo Katongo, told the committee that MultiChoice had agreed to talk to FAZ over the cup and its possible format but nothing has been concluded yet.
He said FAZ was struggling financially because the private companies, who are its partners, were not enough to meet its needs which include funding all five junior teams as well as the senior womens national team.
The junior teams in this case are the under-17 and 20 for both men and women national teams and the under-23 side.
Kasengele said currently, FAZ had three corporate partners in SuperSport, Zambian Breweries and MTN Zambia and it was from these three that the association was getting money to finance all teams as well as operations.