Formation of a National Women’s league and Prominent Women Committee to run fundraising for Copper Queens underway – Andrew Kamanga
By Aaron Mubanga Jnr | July 5, 2020
The Football Association of Zambia supremo has confirmed that the process of forming a Competitive national Women’s League is underway.
Kamanga who was speaking during a press briefing on Saturday in Lusaka, The Association is currently consulting clubs on the formation of the league which will run under the Zambia Super League banner as a sponsored league.
“Women’s league, yes the process has started and consultation is underway with the concerned teams but I think the underlying point is that we want a competitive Women’s League which will also sit under the ZPL because it will also be a sponsored league,” Kamanga told the ZamFoot Crew.
Kamanga went on to confirm that FAZ is in a process of forming a committee of prominent women which will head fundraising ventures for the Women’s national team.
Kamanga revealed that FAZ is currently working with the Minister of Sports Honourable Emmanuel Mulenga to guide them on how to go about the formation of the Committee.
“Sponsorship for Women’s national team following the success of qualification to the Olympics, I have spoken to the Minister of Sports that he should take a lead with the Women’s team and he has also indicated that he will consult so that we are given guidance because the idea is that we want to form a committee of Eminent Women who are going to sit and run the fundraising for the Women’s national team,” Kamanga said.
“The process is ongoing and I think the Minister will give us more feedback but soon we will announce the composition of that team. It will be made up of prominent women and we hope that through that Committee we can raise more funds for the team.”
“We are happy that there has been a postponement by almost a year so that we prepare the team adequately. We also elated that some players have signed professional contracts,” he added.
The Copper Queens qualified to the Olympics for the very first time in March and the FAZ boss confirmed that the Association had honored the commitments they made to the team prior to the match.
“Regarding the compensation of the team from my recollection As FAZ whatever we committed to pay the team we paid them unless there was miscommunication but I know for a fact that whatever was promised was paid including whatever was not paid prior to that Competition,” Kamanga told the ZamFoot Crew.
“I think we are doing very well when it comes to paying the Women’s team and we have elevated them to a point where they are getting reasonable amounts compared to the men’s team. We hope with the introduction of a Women’s Competitive league we also are raising the standard for Women’s football and even the rewarding system will also be commensurate with their efforts.”
He added “We are prioritizing Women’s football just like men’s football. If there any issues in will double-check that otherwise we made commitments and we did pay.”
In Zambia currently, their only Provincial Women’s Leagues running with Lusaka, Copperbelt, Central and North Western as the strongholds in that order. The Copper Queens on the other hand will only make their debut at the Olympics in 2021 after the tournament was postponed due to the Coronavirus epidemic.