By GWEN CHIPASULA –
PRESIDENTIAL hopeful Andrew Kamanga yesterday filed his nomination for the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) presidency ahead of next month’s elections set for Kitwe.
Kamanga was escorted by up to eight sympathisers to the Football House where he greeted the FAZ Secretariat staff before he went on to file his nomination.
Soon after filing in his nomination, Kamanga expressed his disappointment that FAZ did not give out copies of electoral rules stating it may be a strategy to disqualify people ahead of the election.
Kamanga, a long time adversary of incumbent FAZ president Kalusha Bwalya, said he wants to change Zambian football.
Kamanga remains the only challenger to Kalusha Bwalya and was escorted by among others Alex Munasha, an aspiring treasurer, Edwin Sihya who wants to be a committee member as well as Emmanuel Mwelwa and Chisanga Pule.
The aspiring candidate said in an interview that FAZ should have given out the copies of the rules before people filed in their nomination so they know what was required of them.
“I think it is a blind spot, we don’t know the rules which will be applicable which is quite unfortunate because at the end of the day, what we will be getting is that people are being disqualified because they did not qualify,” Kamanga said.
Kamanga stressed that his opportunity has come for him to change the game of football and that if there will be any attempt to bar him from contesting, he knows what the constitution states and will refer to it.
Word going round is that Kamanga does not meet the five-year requirement to serve at club level for one to eligible to contest the FAZ presidency.
“I worked for six years at Kabwe Warriors so I am very much qualified on that aspect. And also I have more than enough nominations so that cannot be an issue,” he said.
Kamanga said his administration will focus on the three-point plan which aims at improving the quality of the game through administering referees in a different way, reduce the cost of the game by restructuring the league and to invest more in youth football development.
He explained that his manifesto was comprehensive and would enhance accountability and transparency in all areas including the selection of players which he said was cardinal to the development of the game.
“My personal view is that football has reached a point where it should be looked at as a business, so we should start thinking of it as a means of economical development for the country,” he said.
He said getting more sponsors even for the lower divisions and women’s football was key and also de-link the league from the association so it can run effectively and independently.
Kamanga called for transparency and a free and fair election on March 19 in Kitwe.