ZESCO hit with sanctions; Football in Zambia is never short of drama—sometimes on the pitch, sometimes in the boardroom. The latest headline comes from the Zambian Premier League (ZPL), which has hit ZESCO United with a double sanction after their fixture against Konkola Blades on August 16, 2025.
According to an official letter from the ZPL, ZESCO United fielded twenty ineligible players in the encounter, a staggering breach that has led to both sporting and financial consequences. League management, guided by Article 55 and Article 31 of the FAZ Disciplinary Code (2021), has decided:
- Forfeiture of the Match – The 16th August fixture has been awarded as a 3–0 victory to Konkola Blades, despite whatever action took place on the pitch.
- Financial Penalty – ZESCO United must pay a fine of K10,000 within seven days of receiving the ruling.
But the punishment doesn’t end there. The ZPL noted that ZESCO went further by submitting an official team list with FAZ ID numbers that belonged to different players. If confirmed, this raises serious integrity concerns and potentially amounts to document falsification and misrepresentation to match officials—two of the gravest offenses in football administration.
This case is more than just about points and money. It touches on the politics of league management, accountability, and the trust fans place in the fairness of the game. If a club of ZESCO United’s stature can be accused of such irregularities, questions will surely arise about oversight mechanisms within both the club and the league.
Football thrives on passion and fairness—but as this case shows, the management of the game is just as political as the action on the field. ZPL’s swift decision sends a message: rules are not just ink on paper, they are the backbone of the league’s credibility.
Players that appeared on the sheet for match day one are as below
Starting XI:
- Phillip Sakuata (GK)
- Lindo Mkonta (C)
- Zacharia Chilangoshi
- Solomon Sakala
- Mathews Chabala
- Vitalis Ganta
- Pepo Ifinto
- Leonard Mulenga
- Freddy Micheal
- David Simukonda
- Abraham Sianokombo
Substitutes:
- Levison Banda
- Alex Ngonga
- Choleek Awene
- Gift Mphunka
- Samson Ngoma
- Shadreck Sinyangwe
- Stanley Mwembe
