Mwenya bemoans Nakambala’s withdrawal from FAZ league
KONKOLA Mine Police president Gideon Mwenya has bemoaned Nakambala Leopards withdrawal from the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) organized league after the deregistration of the club by FAZ.
Mwenya, a FAZ vice presidential aspirant said there were better ways that the Nakambala Leopards case could have been handled other than separating from FAZ organized league football.
FAZ General Secretary Adrian Kashala on Thursday announced that Nakambala’s position in the National Division One League would be handed to Northwestern province Chopin Trident FC following the withdrawal of the former.
But Mwenya said the de- registration of the Mazabuka based side is regrettable as the team was contributing so much to Zambian football.
The Konkola Mine Police president noted that there could have been better ways of handling the Nakambala situation
other than having the club go into extinction.
Mwenya said that Nakambala was contributing not only to football development in Mazabuka District but to job creation for many players that had featured for the team over the years.
He said that FAZ could have found a consensus with the club other than letting it go like that.
He notes that the Club sponsors, Zambia Sugar have given indication that they are willing to sponsor the team hence a win - win situation could have been reached for both parties.
“The purpose for vying for positions at FAZ is to develop the game of football, now if you are losing such sponsorship indirectly as
FAZ and even club like Nakambala, the deregistration of the club is bad. We could have found a way for a win- win situation,” Mwenya said.
“Looking at what we have lost from Nakambala, the players have lost a livelihood and FAZ itself has lost an income and contribution to the nation at large. And this is a very big institution like Zambia sugar which is willing to sponsor.”
Mwenya noted that the fact that Zambia Sugar had relocated their sponsorship to junior developmental football in the District meant that they were ready to sponsor Nakambala leopards.
On Saturday Nakambala Leopards executive committee indicated through a letter to FAZ that the sponsors of the club were now reallocating sponsorship to a developmental academy following the de-registration of
the club.