The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has suspended the top-tier club Buildcon and demoted Lusaka Dynamos from the league.
FAZ general secretary Adrian Kashala said in a statement that Buildcon and Dynamos had been banned from the league after repeatedly abrogating FIFA verdicts in player transfer disputes involving the two clubs.
“We have noticed with great concern that by all indications that these clubs do not meet basic requirements to obtain a licence to participate in the forthcoming 2022/23 season. Playing in the Zambia Premier League requires a license,” Kashala said.
“The said teams are also under several transfer bans with FIFA for unpaid dues and have several cases pending with the Player Status Committee. We have also noted a general exodus of players and technical staff because of non-payment of salaries and other payments due.
“The two teams are also still serving a FIFA ban on transfers and may be unable to raise credible squads for the 2022/2023 season.”
Buildcon, who made their top-flight debut in 2017, arrived in the FAZ Super League under the weight of a top-heavy squad of foreign imports.
And at one point, the Ndola-based club did not have a single Zambian player in its starting XI.
Buildcon, which has made one continental appearance in the 2019/20 CAF Confederation Cup, where they made a preliminary stage exit, is owned by a Ndola-based construction magnate and runs a civil engineering firm of the same name.
Dynamos, too adopted a similar conspicuous consumer philosophy of foreign persuasion during the same period. Meanwhile, Zambian champions Red Arrows are set to face Primeiro de Agosto of Angola in the CAF Champions League preliminary round.
The winner between the two will meet whoever emerges victorious when Malawi’s Big Bullets clash with Tanzania’s Simba. Arrows are home to former Swallows and SuperSport forward James Chamanga. AmaZulu target Ricky Banda, Joseph Phiri and Conlyde Luchanga are also key members of the airmen.
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