This archive report was first published on 31 July 2020.
On August 6, Zambia's football season will come to an abrupt end, just weeks after it resumed, due to clubs' persistent failure to follow COVID-19 protocols.
According to the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ), the decision was made after clubs failed to comply with the guidelines provided by the Ministry of Health, despite signing up to observe them.
The FAZ cited several breaches, including the failure to manage the isolation of players and officials who tested positive, the lack of social distancing, and the absence of sanitizers and disinfectants at designated places.
As a result, any teams unable to fulfill their remaining fixtures will forfeit the points, and the season will be declared complete with all teams having played 27 of their 34 scheduled matches.
FAZ has set a new start date for the 2020-21 season, which is scheduled to begin on October 17, by which time the association hopes to have more rigid processes in place to prevent similar breaches.
This decision comes on the heels of Algeria's announcement to end its season, with CR Belouizdad declared champions and no relegation. South Africa has also unveiled plans to complete its league campaign in bio-secure 'bubbles' in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
