Andrew Kamanga Reflects on FAZ Progress, Seeks Re-Election Amid Challenges
Incumbent Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Andrew Kamanga has reflected on the challenges and achievements of his tenure, expressing pride in the foundations laid during his leadership as he seeks re-election.
Kamanga, who took over from Kalusha Bwalya in 2016, admitted on the Kenny T 1-on-1 Podcast that maintaining momentum with the men’s national team was a major hurdle.
“One of the challenges I had was to deal with the performance of the senior men’s national team. Coming from a background of winning the Africa Cup, the expectation was that we’d continue on that trajectory, which didn’t happen,” Kamanga said.
He recalled that by 2016, Zambia was struggling with an aging team, having been knocked out of the AFCON group stage in 2013.
In response, Kamanga said his administration chose to prioritize long-term investments, focusing on grassroots football development and increasing financial support for domestic clubs.
“It was the first time that we focused on developing structures. Between 2016 and 2021, we invested heavily in grassroots. We also introduced equipment support, providing footballs and jerseys to teams across the country,” he explained.
Highlighting the financial strides under his leadership, Kamanga noted the dramatic rise in funding for Super League clubs:
“At my first meeting with the Super League teams, we agreed that each team would receive K200,000. Today, that figure has grown to around K1,200,000. Those are real, tangible changes.”
While acknowledging struggles with the men’s senior team, Kamanga pointed to key successes during his tenure, including the U-20 men’s team’s 2017 AFCON victory and quarterfinal finish at the World Cup, as well as the historic achievements of Zambia’s women’s national teams, particularly their participation in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
As he gears up for the FAZ elections scheduled for May 29 in Kabwe, Kamanga believes he has positioned Zambian football on an upward trajectory:
“It’s been a very exciting journey. I think I’ll leave FAZ in a better space than I found it,” he concluded.
Kamanga faces stiff competition from Keith Mweemba, a lawyer and owner of FC MUZA, former Chipolopolo player Emmanuel Munaile, and former FAZ secretary general Adrian Kashala.
