. Kananda

By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –
THE Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) and pay television broadcasting giants, SuperSport, yesterday signed a US$5 million five-year deal for the televising of the Zambian Super league.
The new deal, which translates into an annualised $1 million payout, is a 17 per cent increase from the running deal which expires at the end of this year that saw FAZ receiving $850,000 annually.
Announcing the deal at Football House in Lusaka yesterday, Multi-Choice Zambia acting general manager Ngoza Matakala said the firm was pleased to sign the deal with FAZ, which was going to increase Zambian content on the SuperSport platform.
Matakala said that the broadcasting of the Zambian football games across Africa should help in the development of the game in the country.
SuperSport Southern Africa marketing manager Marlon Kananda said the new deal was going to increase the number of games to be broadcast by the pay television company.
“This is a great day and this not just improves the relationship we have with FAZ but also shows the confidence we have as SuperSport about the Zambian game and our strides to improve it,” Kananda said.
Presently, each of the 16 Super Division clubs gets $30,000 a year with FAZ promising that the $150,000 increased from the last deal expected to translate into an increased figure the sides would be getting.
FAZ president Kalusha Bwalya said that the deal was one of the factors that were being undertaken to make the game better.
Kalusha said the deal that had come after another successful running deal clearly showed how much trust and confidence the corporate world had in the current FAZ executive.
“This is an exciting development and a milestone for our football and a resounding demonstration of the confidence and trust that SuperSport and indeed the corporate world have in our game, our association and its leadership,” he said.
Kalusha said that the development had guaranteed Zambia an unrivalled platform to continue showcasing the splendour of the game in the country and the heightened competition of the Super League.
He spoke heavily against providing Africa with ugly scenes of Zambian football which could result in a game being abandoned.
Kalusha said FAZ was happy that equalling punishment was meted on the only abandoned Super League game this year.
“The challenge for us is to continue to work hard as one united family, to continue on the path of development and safeguard the interests, integrity and credibility of our game through exemplary and professional conduct on and off the field,” Kalusha said.
This is the third deal FAZ and SuperSport are signing after an initial three-year deal was hatched in 2007 running until 2010, which gave birth to the deal which is about to end.