Claim
On 4th November 2024, Zambia News Yathu Media’s Facebook page published a post alleging that the Copper Queens, Zambia’s national women’s football team, were left stranded after the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) allegedly failed to pay them their allowances and instructed the players to return home using common transport after returning from the COSAFA Cup tournament in South Africa on Sunday.
Rating Justification
iVerify Zambia has determined as false the claim by the Zambia News Yathu Media’s Facebook page that the Copper Queens were left stranded because FAZ had failed to pay them their allowances and told them to go home using common transport on their return from the COSAFA women’s football tournament in South Africa on Sunday.
To verify the Facebook page’s claims, iVerify Zambia contacted the FAZ Communications Manager, Mr. Sydney Mungala, who refuted the allegations and described them as inaccurate. Mr Mungala clarified that the players received their full transport allowances and were provided with official transportation during and after the tournament up to the point of departure for their homes upon their return from South Africa.
Further, Mr. Mungala explained that FAZ’s standard procedure is to provide players with transport allowances to travel to their destinations using their preferred mode of transport after every tournament, training camp, or official engagement. He added that players are only in full official kit during official duties. Beyond that they are allowed to choose their clothing as was depicted by the picture in the Facebook post.
He assured the public that the Copper Queens were well cared for during and after their participation in the COSAFA tournament and reiterated that the claims that the women’s national team was left stranded and not paid their allowances were false.