Zambia FA boss praises Malian legend Frédéric Kanouté for African growth

Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Keith Mweemba has praised Malian football legend Frédéric Kanouté for his continued contribution to African football and expressed the association’s willingness to collaborate in player development.

Mweemba said this when Kanouté paid a courtesy call on him at Football House in the company of Kafue Celtic proprietor Lee Kawanu.

Welcoming Kanouté, Mweemba said FAZ does not take his involvement in Zambian football for granted adding that the former Sevilla and Mali star could easily have focused his efforts solely on Mali.

Zambia will never take Kanouté for granted

“We are glad to have you at football House, we see what you are doing for Kafue Celtic and Zambia and we shall never take your actions for granted. You could have chosen to focus on Mali, but your contribution to Africa and in particular Zambia is outstanding,” said Mweemba.

Mweemba reaffirmed the association’s willingness to partner with Kanouté’s firms, 12 Management and Nofama Consultancy, to accelerate football development in the country.

“We want to work with you and we are ready to partner with your initiatives to grow the game and have Zambia compete successfully at the highest level.”

Kanouté interacted with FAZ executive committee members

And in responding to the welcome, Kanoute said he was pleased to be in Zambia, which he described as his second home.

“I have been working with Lee for over ten years and I am glad that just like other Zambians, Lee is willing to learn. I am encouraged by how open many Zambians are to learning new ideas and for this I am willing to extend my initives beyond Kafue Celtics,” he said.

FAZ general secretary Machacha Shepande told Kanouté that the association is in the process of rolling out a strategic plan that will outline a clear football development pathway for Zambian football.

Shepande lamented the lack of structured development pathways from the lower ranks to high-performance centres. During the visit, Kanouté was also presented with a KoPa jersey bearing his name and his famous number 12.

Later, Kanouté interacted with FAZ executive committee members during a tea break from their meeting at Football House.