FIFA, world's soccer governing body, did not desire that soccer in Third World countries like Zambia should suffer, rather benefit from staging the tournament for the first time ever in the Far East.
The last three weeks has dealt a severe blow to the coffers of local teams.
Attendance during league and BP Top Eight Cup matches had been extremely low as most fans were glued to their TV sets to watch top flight soccer in Korea and Japan.
Local fans' loyalty was split between Zambian teams and the likes of Brazil, England, Senegal, Italy and given a choice which they had, they stayed home-at absolutely no cost.
With most sponsors cutting down on sponsorship, gate receipts have been the mainstay of most Super and Division One teams.
Only teams like Green Buffaloes, Kabwe Warriors, Red Arrows, Zanaco and maybe Power Dynamos would survive even without gate receipts going by their sound sponsorship.
FAZ should have realised this and postponed the league and BP Top Eight until after the World Cup.
Soccer crazy fans should have trooped back en masse to watch their favourite local clubs and contribute towards their sustenance by paying to see the matches.
Postponing the league and BP could also have probably helped our standards of soccer to improve because almost all the players and coaches could have been watching the matches and noting one or two things.
Assuming FAZ had vision and deferred the league, most training sessions should have been taking place in the evenings, with coaches asking players whether they enjoyed the day's games and analyse a few of them.
Flair, skill and game organisation may not be contagious - especially through the small screens - but discussing the games between administrators, coaches and players could at least help raise our game a bit.
But as the situation stood, very few players and coaches particularly among the Super Division clubs watched preliminary matches because they train twice a day.
FAZ felt the impact of the World Cup when a paltry K400,000 was raised from the semi-final bash between Power Dynamos and Konkola Blades.
The other semi-final match between Warriors and Wanderers raked in about K7 million, which could have been almost double had the World Cup not been taking place.
Club administrators and FAZ should take cues from the current World Cup to tailor the staging of the league and cup matches so that international fixtures do not starve local clubs of the crowds and the much-needed cash.
[Daily Mail]
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