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Zambia soccer chief confident of retaining seat

Xinhua, March 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

The head of Zambia's soccer governing body has expressed optimism that he will emerge victorious during the upcoming elections, the Zambia Daily Mail reported on Thursday.

The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) will hold its annual general meeting on Saturday in Kitwe.

Kalusha Bwalya is seeking re-election and is being challenged by a business executive Andrew Kamanga and a former executive member of the soccer association Henschel Chitembeya.

The 1988 African footballer of the year, who was recently elected into the Hall of Fame of African football, said his visits to various parts of the country have indicated that clubs want continuity in the running of football.

"I am just coming from Eastern Province. The turnout was quite good. I feel very confident. I have been speaking to people and everyone is magnanimous," he is quoted as saying by the paper.

Kalusha, who has been soccer chief since 2008, said he has received overwhelming support from clubs, adding that this will be reflected during elections.

According to him, his executive deserves another term in office because they have achieved much in promoting football in the country, adding that the winning of the African Cup of Nations in 2012 is a significant achievement for his team.

But his opponents have asked the world soccer governing body, FIFA, seeking its intervention on his eligibility to re-contest the position due to ongoing investigations against him by the country's corruption agency.

The Anti-Corruption Commission has instituted investigations against him after a former executive member reported him to the agency on allegedly corrupt activities.

His opponents have argued that a precedent was set at FIFA after Michael Platini was stopped from contesting the FIFA presidency last month because he was under investigations. Endit