The Zambia National Broadcast Corporation, the country’s public-service broadcaster, has acquired rights to today’s crucial Fifa World Cup football qualifier between Zambia and Ghana.
The one-game deal has averted fears that the broadcaster would not be able to agree a deal with the Sportfive agency.
ZNBC director general Chibamba Kanyama told the Zambia Daily Mail newspaper earlier this week that Sportfive was asking for a rights fee of $150,000 (€112,000) for the game. Kanyama said that ZNBC has paid the same rights fee to show the World Cup Finals in Brazil next year.
ZNBC said: “ZNBC will go ahead with the securing of the broadcast rights for the crucial 2014 Brazil World Cup qualifier against Ghana, a game to be played on Friday September 6, 2013 in Kumasi, Ghana. As a national broadcaster, we have so far raised 50 per cent of the required money for the rights and we have since written to other (corporate) organisations to come to the aid of ZNBC.”
Zambia, on 11 points, need to beat Ghana in their final Group D game to progress to the last round of African qualifying while its opponent, on 12 points, only needs a draw.