Football House on Wednesday hosted a courtesy call from Ichiro Aisawa, Member of the House of Representatives of Japan and Chairperson of the Japan-Africa Union Parliamentary Friendship Association. FAZ General Secretary Reuben Kamanga led the Zambian delegation in welcoming Aisawa, highlighting the growing relationship between Zambia and Japan in football.
Kamanga noted the significance of past interactions, including Zambia’s participation in women’s football tournaments such as the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and the 2024 U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic. He also expressed anticipation for continued collaboration at the 2025 U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
“Beyond competition, we admire Japan’s technical excellence and advanced approach to football development. We are keen to explore partnerships in coaching exchanges, youth development and technical collaboration,” Kamanga said. He added that FAZ appreciates Japan’s focus on senior leagues, aligning with Zambia’s Grannies initiative and programmes for differently-abled players.
In response, Aisawa shared insights into Japan’s football ecosystem, detailing professional leagues from J1 to J3, grassroots development, and senior competitions, including an over-80s league with players up to age 93. He highlighted the JFA Age-Group Championships for players in their 40s to 70s as an example of Japan’s culture of active aging.
Aisawa encouraged Zambian players to explore opportunities in Japanese leagues and emphasized the importance of infrastructure in football growth. He pledged to engage the Japanese ambassador to Zambia to explore possible support in infrastructure and coaching exchanges, drawing on Japan’s experience providing similar assistance in other sports such as judo.
The visit included Aisawa’s wife, Toshie Aisawa, First Secretary at the Embassy of Japan in Zambia, along with Nobue Ozawa and Xavier Manchishi from the embassy. The meeting underscores Zambia’s commitment to strengthening international football partnerships and learning from countries with advanced football structures.