•IVORY Coast side Sewe Sports players cooling off at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport in Ndola yesterday as FAZ official Pivoty Simwanza makes frantic efforts to organise transport to ferry the team to Kitwe. Picture by FELIX MALUNGA

By FELIX MALUNGA –

IVORY Coast side, Sewe Sports yesterday jetted into the country without informing the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) or their hosts for this weekend’s CAF Confederation Cup Group B match, Nkana.

The Ivorians arrived at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport in Ndola around middday and were angered when they discovered that there was no one to receive them.

But FAZ general secretary, George Kasengele said Sewe never informed Football House on the date of their arrival and that they only sent a delegation list yesterday which only contained names and passport numbers.

Kasengele said Nkana could therefore not be blamed for not pitching up at the airport to receive their visitors.

However, FAZ committee member, Pivoty Simwanza rushed to the airport after some authorities at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe informed him of the arrival of the Ivorian club.

Tempers flared among the Ivorians but Simwanza managed to calm them down and even bought them some refreshments as he made frantic efforts to organise transport to ferry the delegation to Kitwe.

Simwanza said he spoke to Nkana who promised to send a bus from Kitwe to pick the Sewe delegation from Ndola.

Zesco United finally came to the rescue of Sewe around 15:00 hours after Simwanza spoke to the club chairperson, Kenneth Muteto to assist Nkana by ferrying the Ivorians to Kitwe.

The Ivorians were later taken to Michelangelo Restaurant for lunch before being driven to Kitwe.

Simwanza thanked Zesco for lending their helping hand, saying the Ndola-based club had shown the true spirit of FIFA’s slogan of Fair Play.

Sewe director, Donatien Aman, who claimed the Ivorian Football Federation had written to FAZ about their itinerary, said the team was not affected by what transpired yesterday and remained focused on winning the match against Nkana on Saturday.

Aman, however, said Nkana were a good side after watching them in last weekend’s tie against Al Ahly in Egypt.

The 25-man delegation had 17 players who included a Nigerian, Ghanaian and Cameroonian.