The Football Association of Zambia – FAZ has signed a Memorandum of Understanding – MOU with Futsal & Sports Complex aimed at promoting talent identification and youth football development.
Speaking during the singing in ceremony at Football House in Lusaka on June 10th 2019, Futsal & Sports Complex head of business development Mwenda Silumesii stated that the partnership would contribute to restoring Zambia’s high ranking position in continental football.
Mwenda said Futsal and Sports Complex will also open 11-aside facilities that will be made available for use by the national teams.
And FAZ deputy general secretary Joseph Chimpampwe said the partnership with the Futsal & Sports Complex will promote talent identification and youth football through use of the facility. Chimpampwe said this falls in line with the FAZ 10-year strategy that will see partnerships and collaboration aimed towards growing professional football in Zambia. He added that the MOU would provide a foundation to build a pool of professional footballers of various age groups.
This is in relation to running the Youth League, as you know the football pyramid is composed of three major components, at the bottom there is the mass (amateur), then there is the academy and at the top we have the high performers – the professionals.
We as FAZ were privileged to meet the Barca Academy head and just recently, they took youth teams to Spain. The Barca philosophy is very strong, so it makes us happy to partner with Futsal & Sports Complex to develop youth football.” he said.
At the same event FAZ technical director Lyson Zulu says the signing ceremony marks the beginning of a talent identification strategy that will be replicated across the country, where young talent will be nurtured and grown.
He said the partnership will support the creation of a FAZ Youth League for Under 10, Under 12, Under 14 and Under 16 players to participate in training and build teams for regional and international competitions.
“The initial one year partnership between FAZ and Futsal & Sports Complex will develop and up-skill youth football in Zambia and will establish, manage and operate a youth league programme for Under 10, Under 12, Under 14 and Under 16 players across the country, commencing with a pilot project in Lusaka” he said.
Spanish La Liga giants, Futbol Club Barcelona, established the FCB Soccer Academy in Lusaka in 2017. It targets young people between the ages of 6 and 16 and aims to teach football in the Barça way, training in line with current FC Barcelona methodology.
The Futsal and Sports Complex Limited initiated and operate the Barca Academy in Lusaka with over 200 youths enrolled and a training programme for over 18 local coaches. They have also operated the FAZ Futsal League since 2008 and will continue to develop and grow it at both junior and senior level in Lusaka and other provinces.
