LUSAKA Province minister Bowman Lusambo says whether people like or not, Forest Rangers will be crowned champions of the MTN FAZ super league.
Lusambo, who pledged K100,000 to Forest Rangers to beat Napsa Stars, has dismissed the thought that he had a hand in influencing the FAZ appeals committee that ordered a replay of the Zanaco vs Forest Rangers game.
Lusambo said not at anytime did he ask anybody at FAZ to have the decision changed to favour Fole Malembe.
“I don’t work for FAZ and I don’t sit in any committee at FAZ, how can [I be blamed for]… influencing the decision by FAZ and linking me to Kashala? The fact of Kashala being my friend and my senior at school but this should not bring problems and Kashala, he is a professional and I am too, so these allegations are not here nor there,” he said.
“I have no idea concerning these allegations. For me, Forest Rangers is a childhood team, there is nothing that is going to separate me from Rangers, nothing, nothing because it’s our team. I am a Forest boy. I stayed in Chichele, Dola Hill, I visited all the stations for ZAFFICO in the Copperbelt with my father and the attachment which is there, no one can take it away, no one, no one. Forest Rangers to me is more like my brother and my sister in the house, more like my children,” he said.
Lusambo added that he was not the only big figure supporting Forest Rangers.
“We are a lot, we have bankers, we have big people in big offices who have gone through ZAFFICO and they are supporting Forest Rangers. Others are in ZRA, so it’s not me alone, we are a lot. And Forest Rangers whether in Division one, two, three, we will support it, it’s our team,” Lusambo said.
“So whether we go and support Manchester United but back home, Forest rings in our minds and we have interest in that team. We have interest and I can assure you Tembo that I am not alone supporting Forest; we are a lot and when you see progress in that team, definitely you will support that team and that’s how we motivated the boys and we know whether you like it or not Forest Rangers are supposed to be crowned champions 2019/2020 because it is a team that has been progressing from one game to another.”
Some officers at FAZ speculated Lusambo might have influenced the FAZ committee decision to have a replay of the Zanaco vs Forest.