The Government of Zambia has said it will step up investment in football as the economy continues to improve, saying the sport is a reliable source of jobs and income.
Information and Media Minister Cornelius Mweetwa told delegates at the FAZ Southern Province AGM in Choma on Sunday that football must be treated as an a platform for employment creation. Mweetwa says government will invest more in Zambian football as the economy rebounds to support job creation.
“As the economy rebounds, as the economy improves, there will be more investment in football because football is a platform for employment creation,” Mweetwa said.
Mweetwa cited the growing number of players earning contracts abroad, especially in the women’s game, as proof the sector can deliver livelihoods.
“Look at a number of girls we have who are playing in leagues abroad; in Europe, in America. That’s a form of employment and I’m sure they are sending the money they have back home to support their families.”
He called on the private sector to take a more active role in funding the game as doing so builds unity and peace in the country. “When you support football in this country, you are sponsoring national peace and unity in this country,” Mweetwa said.
And Mweetwa welcomed FAZ efforts to stabilise its finances and run the game on a sustainable footing.
He reiterated that government would maintain close cooperation with the association to lift standards from grassroots to elite level.
The minister also commended FAZ for arranging the recent friendly against Argentina in Buenos Aires, describing it as valuable exposure. He said such matches market the country to the world and help position Zambia as a tourism destination, even when results are secondary.
