Zambia's FA to regulate registration of foreign players

Zambia's football governing body has said that it will introduce new regulations for registration of foreign players following an influx of foreign players in the country's league.

Andrew Kamanga, the president of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) said the regulations were aimed at ensuring that the league attracts quality players from outside the country, reports Xinhua news agency.

The soccer chief said in a statement following an executive committee meeting held on October 28, 2017 that the association has continued to face legacy challenges dating back to 2014, regarding registration for both local and foreign players in the league.

"This unfortunate position arises from failure within the Registrar office to follow correct regulations regarding player registration," he said.

He added that an amnesty to streamline the correction of all anomalies was extended to all clubs to normalise registration.

Zambia has witnessed an influx of foreign players in its league in recent years.

Meanwhile, the soccer chief said the league will be de-linked from the association in line with standard and best-practice in the world.

The move, he said, will go a long way towards making the country's leagues attractive to more sponsorship opportunities.

According to him, the move will allow the league to function in a fully professional manner, with little disturbance or interruption in the program and that the new structure will create a multitude of sponsorship opportunities for corporate partners.

The association will focus on managing all national teams as well as provide regulatory oversight in line with the statutes and regulations, he said.

A committee will be appointed immediately after the end of the 2017 season to undertake the assignment and provide the implementation timeline, he added.

--IANS

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