Zambia: The Football Association of Zambia is back with their weekly President Column to share the weekly updates.Football felicitations from the Moroccan resort city of Marrakech, where the Chipolopolo face Niger tomorrow in a Group E FIFA World Cup qualifier
The boys got off to a winning start against Congo Brazzaville in Ndola at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, with a 4-2 win. Kicking off the qualifiers with a win was important, as it would set the tempo for the rest of the campaign. A big congratulations to the boys for making the nation smile.
FAZ said they must also credit the fans who filled the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, creating an incredibly electric atmosphere that spurred the boys to victory. The boys reciprocated the support with a deserved win.
Furthermore, they asserted that they found few unsavoury incidences spurred by unruly fans whose behaviour fell short of the requisite FIFA standards. They have repeatedly appealed to fans to avoid celebrating goals, protesting decisions, or performing by throwing missiles.
Apart from the bad image it gives the games, there is always the risk of sanctions that could draw a huge fine. They said they will be exercising the option of using the CCTV cameras installed in the stadium to identify instigators of these unfortunate incidences. As a country that aspires to host international tournaments of the magnitude of the Africa Cup of Nations, it will be prudent to embrace good supporter practices at Stadia.
“Away from the euphoria of a winning start, we must now focus on sustaining that momentum with a good result against Niger tomorrow. On the administration part, we have been on top of things to ensure that the team landed in Morocco in good time for the match,” said FAZ.
“The team has quickly settled and is looking forward to tomorrow’s match. Ideally, we would have loved the match to be played in another venue outside a country that is in our group. However, having not gotten our wish after engaging FIFA, we have no choice but to carry on as has been provided for by FIFA.”
“We have a good feeling about this campaign based on the progress that our team has made over the years. We believe that they are motivated and ripe for the big occasion. We will not stop to dream as we believe Zambia deserves to be at the World Cup in the 59-year history.”
Finally, the Copper Queens commence camp today for the 2024 Women Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Angola set for November 29 in Luanda. The 2022 WAFCON bronze winners and 2023 FIFA World Cup debutants will host Angola on December 5 at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
The winner over two legs will qualify for the WAFCON, with Zambia aiming to make a third straight appearance. The WAFCON qualification could provide the right momentum ahead of the February Paris 2024 Olympic qualifier against Ghana.
“We have no doubt that the Copper Queens will continue to make history given the levels of investment we have put in. In signing off, I wish to appeal to all Zambians to rally behind the Chipolopolo in their quest for a debut World Cup appearance.”