The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Appeals Committee has upheld the decision of the Disciplinary Committee to hand Nkana Football Club multiple sanctions over their role in the October 1 Week Six match against Nchanga Rangers.
Nkana had advanced four grounds of appeal including the plea to have the four-match ban on skipper Diamond Chikwekwe and six-month banishment from football of goalkeeper coach Mike Poto reviewed.
The Appeals Committee dismissed all the four grounds and noted that the decision by the Disciplinary Committee was above board.
“In considering ground 1, the committee was of the considered view that the Appellant’s captain, as the leader of the players must always conduct himself in an exemplary manner, despite being a first offender. The Appellant is however, encouraged to ensure that Appellant’s captain issues a press statement apologizing to the referee and the fans and the nation, indicating that correct procedure should be followed when dissatisfied with the officiating of a match, if this hasn’t already been done,” reads part of the verdict.
“Furthermore, the Disciplinary Committee applied the minimum penalty as provided for in the FAZ DC and therefore the committee could not fault the Disciplinary Committee’s finding on ground one.”
On the ban on goalkeeping coach, the Appeals Committee observed that a higher standard of conduct was expected of the trainer as a leader in the team.
“Furthermore, the Disciplinary Committee applied the minimum penalty as provided for in the FAZ DC and therefore the committee could not fault the Disciplinary Committee’s finding on ground 2,” states the verdict.
The Appeals Committee also endorsed the Disciplinary Committee’s position that the Appellant was a habitual offender on the evidence of the number of appearances before the judicial bodies.
“The Committee notes that the sanction imposed by the Disciplinary Committee is as provided in the FAZ DC and in the absence of any convincing reasons advanced by the Appellant (Nkana), it cannot fault the sanction imposed by the Disciplinary Committee.”
Additionally, the K100, 000 fine and the K50, 000 penalty for the unidentified aggressor that Nkana must play have been upheld.
FAZ General Secretary Adrian Kashala thanked the Appeals Committee for having set a good pace for adjudication of matters this season.
“We hope that clubs can take heed from our hard-line stance on violence during league matches. We will be very hard on weeding out violence and crowd trouble this season,” Kashala says.
“Let me also thanks the judicial bodies for setting a very encouraging pace to clear some of these cases in time so that they can have no bearing at the end of the season.”
For and on behalf of:
FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA
Sydney Mungala
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER