The recent ABSA Cup final match between Muza Football Club and Forest Rangers Football Club at Woodlands Stadium in Lusaka witnessed a shortage of seats, leaving some fans unable to enter the venue, hence raising concerns among football followers in Zambia.
Speaking in an interview with Lusaka Star, Football Analyst Aaron Mubanga said there was an excitement about the game but it was however disappointing because some fans were unable to watch it due to the overcrowded stadium.
Mr. Mubanga also highlighted the scheduling challenges, noting that the presence of the Republican President Mr. Hakainde Hichilema at the match, coupled with a prior engagement the week before which created a logistical nightmare.
“It is unfortunate that some fans did not get into the stadium, it was obviously a scheduling nightmare because the republican president had to be at the stadium,” Mr. Mubanga lamented.
He also mentioned that the National Heroes Stadium, which could have accommodated a larger crowd, was already booked for a music concert during that time, contributing to the seating shortage at Woodlands Stadium.
Meanwhile, Jack Ng’uni a football fan said that there was limited space in the stadium which resulted to the other fans failing to watch the game from inside of the stadium despite having valid tickets.
“These people who are complaining of not being given a chance to enter and watch the match from inside bought the actual tickets but were not able to enter because FAZ or the organizers kept selling online tickets causing a clash,” he said.
Mr. Ng’uni said that the idea of moving the game from National Heroes Stadium to Woodlands Stadium was not a good move, because the game was a final and a lot of fans wanted to watch it.
“Finals like the ABSA Cup should be played in bigger stadiums like Heroes Stadium and I don’t know what the organizers were thinking because the game should have been played about a week before the date it was played,” Mr. Ng’uni said.
He further urged the organisers to make sure that the next games should take place in bigger stadiums with enough sitting capacity.