Nkana Football Club(NFC) President Chikusi Banda says the club has appealed to the Football Association of Zambia(FAZ) for the long ban imposed on them for 2023/2024 League Season.
In an interview with Lusaka Star, President Banda said he is confident that the ban will be reversed as he defended that the club does not cause confusion at their own stadium.
“If you look at our games at home we have not had any incident and we also challenge our opponents to step up security because it would be their fans wearing Nkana regalia causing confusion,” he said.
He added that the ban will affect the team psychologically because they will not feel the same motivation from fans in a different place as they did when they played in their home stadium .
“ The club will lose out on the revenue capacity as it is the only club with huge crowd pullers in the league however, in case our appeal is not considered we have other stadia options within the provincial centers,” Mr. Banda said.
The club president has urged fans to stop throwing objects on the pitch and to remain calm as the club awaits the decision from the association.
Meanwhile, team Captain Harrison Chisala said that the ban will affect his teammates and their opponents because they now have to travel long distances to fulfill their fixtures.
“As players we just have to work hard, stay focused and strong regardless of where we play our matches from so that we are able to deliver this 2023/2024 season,” he said.
He assured fans of a better performance in the MTN FAZ Super League 2023/24 season provided the team is prepared well, further promising the supporters of finishing in a good position next season.
On June 20 2023, the club was given a season long ban by the FAZ disciplinary committee for violent behavior during a match against power dynamos in week 31 of the MTN FAZ Super League 2022/23 season .