The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has explained that the failure to broadcast some national team matches is due to a lack of interest from television stations and the lengthy approval processes required for international fixtures.
Speaking in an interview with Lusaka Star, FAZ Communications Manager Sydney Mungala said,broadcasters must first express interest in airing matches before arrangements can be made.
“Interest has to be shown by the broadcasting stations in order for a game to be aired,” Mungala said.
He explained that when two countries are involved in a match, broadcasters must engage the relevant football associations and obtain the necessary rights before coverage can be provided.
“Broadcasting stations are constantly engaged, but in an event that two countries are playing and a station has been engaged to air the match, there is need to talk to the other country,” he said.
Mungala further noted that FIFA approval is often required for qualifier matches, making the process more complex and time-consuming.
Meanwhile, a Sports Analyst Lucky Chama Mwewa said,football governing bodies should consider easing some broadcasting regulations to improve access to matches.
“CAF’s regulations have to be loosened in order to improve games,” Mwewa said.
Mwewa added that Zambia could face challenges in preparing for its next match against Ethiopia because there was also no available footage of Ethiopia’s encounter with Burundi.
“The team does not know how Ethiopia plays,” he said.
Some football supporters have also expressed disappointment over the lack of television coverage.
A football fan Esther Nakazwe said supporters were eager to watch the match and draw inspiration from the young players representing the country.
“We were eager to watch the match because we love football and watching our fellow youths play is encouraging to us upcoming footballers,however, we could not watch it on television because no channel aired it,” she said.