Government has handed over 80 hectares of land to the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) for the construction of a technical centre in Chongwe District which will cost 10 million United States dollars.

The construction which is being funded by world football governing body FIFA will start in 2025 and the project is expected to be complete within a three-year period.

The technical centre will have modern state of the art football facilities and a new FAZ Headquarters.

Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts Permanent Secretary Kangwa Chileshe told a media briefing in Lusaka today that the facility will also have multiple training grounds, including artificial and natural turf, for elite and grassroots football programmes.

Chileshe said the technical centre which will transform the football landscape in the country will boost talent development, enhance women’s football in addition to grassroots empowerment and strengthen the national team.

“Improved training infrastructure will directly contribute to the performance of Zambia’s national teams on regional and international stages,” he stated.

And FAZ President Andrew Kamanga disclosed that the technical centre is one of the landmark projects FAZ secured through its partnership with FIFA under the FIFA forward program.

Kamanga who was represented by FAZ Lusaka Province Chairperson Jordan Maliti said the technical centre will revolutionise football in the country.

He said the FIFA project is a testament of a partnership between FIFA, FAZ and the government.

“FIFA has already provided support for the rehabilitation of four provincial stadia namely David Kaunda, Independence, Kaole and Kasama. Government leased the four stadia to FAZ while FIFA provided the 1.5 million-dollar funds for the rehabilitation project,” Kamanga added