A picture showing the Zambia football association-FAZ officials donned in a new Zambia national team KoPa jersey has caused a social media buzz.
The new jersey that has a touch of what looks like a depiction of the Zambian tradition fabric called ‘chitenge’ has received mixed reactions with many fans asking the FA if it’s the new 2021/22 jersey for the Zambia national teams.
The jersey has the Zambian flag on the middle of the collar and African fabric-like short sleeves.
The Zambian FA is among the very few FAs in Africa that dresses it’s own national teams with their locally owned brand called KoPa.
However, the leaked Jersey has caused a buzz on social media as questions have continued to rise as to whether it’s the new kit for the national teams or not.
Some have described it as a beautiful jersey that has recognized the Zambian traditional attires and brings out the national flag colours.
Ghana national team 2020/21 season kit
Another country that has adopted the addition of african fabric-like colours on their national team jersey is Ghana which recently released their 2020/21 season kit by puma.
The new Ghanian kits are steeped in tradition and engineered for sport inspired by the Ghanaian culture, a thing which the Zambian FA seem to have emulated in their leaked new kits.
In the picture are FAZ officials in the new leaked Zambian national team jersey.
The Terranga lions of Senegal and chipolopolo boys of Zambia will play an international friendly match on 6th June 2021 in Darka.
The two will use the friendly match to asses new players who have been added to their national teams as they prepare for the rescheduled world cup qualifiers in October.
Zambia and Senegal have played each other thirteen times with Zambia winning four games and losing three times. They have also drawn six times.
The two last played each other in a competitive match at the Africa cup of nations in 2012 were Senegal was beaten 1-2.
Their last non-competitive match was a friendly in 2013 which ended 1-1.
The football association of Zambia-FAZ has rubbished reports that the Zambia national team coach , Milutin Sredojevic ‘MICHO’ has gone to Europe in search of players with Zambian roots.
The FA’s communication manager Sydney Mugala confirmed to African football Greats that it’s not true that the national team coach has travelled to Europe to monitor and woo players with Zambian origins.
“That’s not correct. The coach is around. Part of his duty is to track and scout players but he does not need to travel. It’s not true the coach is around.” He said.
Yesterday, a Zambian publication , Zamfoot, reported that Micho has gone to Europe to search for players with Zambian roots.
Earlier last month, the FA announced that they will embark on a program to assess and invite european born players that are willing to play for the Chipolopolo.
Zambia national team coach Milutin Sredojevic alas MICHO. has gone to Europe in search of players with Zambian origin, the Zamfoot has reported.
According to the Zambian sports publication ,Zamfoot, the Serbian gaffer has gone to Europe to check on players with Zambian roots to woo them to play for the Copper Bullets who are in dear need of a first world cup appearance.
After Zambia failed to qualify to the 2022 africa cup of nations for the third time consecutively, Micho promised to look for “the best of the best” defenders to play for Zambia as he noted that it was the weakest department in the national team.
The chipolopolo have majority of their dependable players based in Africa with only a few playing in Europe.
Frankie Chisenge Musonda- Raith Rovers fc defeder
Among the players micho is expected to meet in Europe include Raith Rovers fc defender Frankie Musonda who is reportedly already working on his documents to switch his international allegiance to Zambia.
The English born defender has netted three goals in the Scottish Championship and has been named three times in the team of the week this season.
Botswana Midfielder Mothusi Cooper emerged man of the match yesterday in Zambia’s ABSA cup final and walked away with an individual award of k15,000($676).
Cooper helped the Lusaka Dynamos fc win their first Zambian ABSA cup to end 13, years trophy drought.
The Elites won the ABSA cup after beating giants Zesco united 3-1 on penalty shoot outs following a 0-0 draw in regulation time.
The Lusaka dynamos will now look to secure a top four finish in the MTN super league and qualify to the CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE next season.
THE PROPOSED AFRICAN SUPER LEAGUE IS THE WAY TO GO, SAYS BLOGGER UZE.
African football blogger Kel Uze believes that the proposed AFRICAN SUPER LEAGUE by FIFA president Giani Infatino is the way forward to develop African football , despite it being rejected in Europe.
He wrote;
“The AFRICAN SUPER LEAGUE can be a good thing for Africa if the following is done.
1. We can have 20 top clubs in what we will call AFRICAN SUPER LEAGUE first Division. (Set a standard, clubs must have an ultra modern stadium and a stable financial muscle to compete in this league.)
2. We should also have a second African super league division for 20 more small clubs.
3. The top clubs are not guaranteed a permanent slot in the elite AFRICAN LEAGUE meaning that they can be relegated and small clubs be promoted.
4. Domestic leagues can continue and will be used as qualification to AFRICAN SUPER LEAGUE’s first and second division. (Each season we can have clubs promoted and others relegated)
5. Do away with CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE and CONFEDERATIONS CUP. (They have failed to gunner a good following on the world market)
This is the only way African football can grow a wide audience and become competitive.
Imagine Sundowns Vs AL AHLY playing every weekend and second tier clubs also battling for promotion to the top flight league.
Let Africa have one major league, forget about what’s happening in Europe, this could be a good thing for African football. “
The world football governing body, FIFA has rejected the newly formed European super league but it’s in support of an African super league to be created.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino had proposed a 20 teams super league for Africa’s elite clubs which he said would be able to generate a whopping $200million every year, but surprisingly the same FIFA and it’s president are strongly against the creation of a European super league, a similarly league they proposed for Africa.
According to a joint statement released yesterday by the european clubs involved in the creation of the super league, twelve of Europe’s leading football clubs agreed to establish a new mid-week competition, called Super League, governed by its Founding Clubs.
AC Milan, Arsenal FC, Atlético de Madrid, Chelsea FC, FC Barcelona, FC Internazionale Milano, Juventus FC, Liverpool FC, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid CF and Tottenham Hotspur have all joined as Founding Clubs.
It is anticipated that a further three clubs will join ahead of the inaugural season, which is intended to commence as soon as practicable.
The clubs said “the formation of the Super League comes at a time when the global pandemic has accelerated the instability in the existing European football economic model. Further, for a number of years, the Founding Clubs have had the objective of improving the quality and intensity of existing European competitions throughout each season, and of creating a format for top clubs and players to compete on a regular basis.”
“The pandemic has shown that a strategic vision and a sustainable commercial approach are required to enhance value and support for the benefit of the entire European football pyramid. In recent months extensive dialogue has taken place with football stakeholders regarding the future format of European competitions. The Founding Clubs believe the solutions proposed following these talks do not solve fundamental issues, including the need to provide higher-quality matches and additional financial resources for the overall football pyramid” read the official statement.
In the same statement below is what they explained on how the super league would run:
20 participating clubs with 15 Founding Clubs and a qualifying mechanism for a further five teams to qualify annually based on achievements in the prior season.
Midweek fixtures with all participating clubs continuing to compete in their respective national leagues, preserving the traditional domestic match calendar which remains at the heart of the club game.
An August start with clubs participating in two groups of ten, playing home and away fixtures, with the top three in each group automatically qualifying for the quarter finals. Teams finishing fourth and fifth will then compete in a two-legged play-off for the remaining quarter-final positions. A two-leg knockout format will be used to reach the final at the end of May, which will be staged as a single fixture at a neutral venue.
The statement also read, “going forward, the Founding Clubs look forward to holding discussions with UEFA and FIFA to work together in partnership to deliver the best outcomes for the new League and for football as a whole.”
However, FIFA and UEFA have strongly rejected the creation of the European super league and have threatened to ban the clubs involved from participating in the UEFA champions league and their players from taking part in international fixtures for their countries.
Should Africans accept Infantino’s ‘AFRICAN SUPER LEAGUE’ ?
Former English Premier league side Leicester city and Nigeria’s super eagles forward Ahmed Musa has offered to play for free for his new club Kano pillars, according to Nigerian Newspaper , The Punch.
Musa being unveiled as a Kano pillars fc player earlier this week.
Musa who is returning to the Nigerian league after 9-years , had scored 18 goals for Kano pillars and was the league top scorer before breaking into Europe
17-years old Musa at Kano pillars fc
He said, anything that will make Nigerian football grow he is ready to give in his best as he signed a short contract with his former club , Kano pillars fc, which will see him be at the club for the reminder of the season.
“Anything that will help Nigerian football grow, I am ready to give my whole.” Said Ahmed Musa after being unveiled as Kano pillars new signing.
Musa has been a free agent since October 2020, when he left Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr, with whom he won the Saudi Pro League title and Super Cup after joining them from Leicester City in 2018.
Ahmed Musa in action for Leicester city fc in the English Premier.
The southern African region in the past 10-years has seen massive changes with the regional giants, however, shrinking and underdogs making it big on the continental level.
From the emergency of Madagscar who stormed the quater finals of the previous Africa cup, to Comoros qualifying for the first time this year , to Malawi booking a place at next year’s edition for the first time in 11-years , and finally Zimbabwe qualifying back to back.
South Africa last made an appearance at Afcon in the previous edition while the chipolopolo of Zambia have missed three times consecutively and have failed to regain their winning glory since 2015.
However, Zimbabwe who made their debut at the Africa cup of nations in 2004 have recently produced some of the best players to come out of the southern African region playing in Europe’s top leagues and are becoming a strong force to reckon with in the region as they have qualified to the last three afcon editions.
The warriors who struggled to make another appearance at the Africa cup of nations after their second appearance in 2006 had to wait for 11-years to make a return in 2017 and since then they maintained their mojo and qualified to the continent’s biggest football tournament again in 2019 and they will be going to Cameroon in 2022, making it three out of three consecutively.
Among the players that Zimbabwe has produced include in-form Lyon striker Tinotenda ‘tino’ Kadewere who has risen from playing second tier football to france top tier and now banging goals at the highest stage as he has found the back of the net 10 times this season in the french Ligue 1.
Lyon fc striker Tino Kadewere
Tino has proven to be a good striker who is being listed among the best African players in the french League and Zimbabweans will be hoping that he replicates his form to the national team in Cameroon next year.
Marvelous Nakamba , Aston villa’s Midfielder
Marvelous Nakamba is another Zimbabwean who has broken through europe’s top league. Nakamba has made impressive appearances for English Premier league side Aston villa , turning out to be a dependable player for Zimbabwe .
Marshall Munetsi , Reims midfielder .
Another man who Zimbabweans are counting on is Reims Midfielder Marshall Munetsi who plays in the french Ligue 1. He has aswell made fantastic appearances against top french clubs.
Khama Billiat of Kaizer Chiefs
South African outfit Kaizer Chiefs’ forward Khama Billiat is one man that has come forward for the Warriors of Zimbabwe on several occasions.
Having been a consistent key member in their squad that secured qualification to afcon on three occasions, he remains a treasure for the warriors and they will count on him like always.
Other key players include captain Knowledge musona , Tendai Darikwa among others making waves in Europe and locally.
The six times record champions of the COSAFA tournament will be looking to claim the “king of the region” title by ensuring that they go past the group stages at the African cup of nations for the first time after four failed attempts.
The debate, however, remains for the fans who have taken it to social media to claim the “king” title with Zambians boasting of winning Afcon in the last decade as well as producing players who have won various individual awards while South Africans bragging about their three world cup appearances and a 1996 afcon gold medal .
Share your thoughts with us. Who do you think deserves the crown of the Southern African king?
Arsenal star Alexander Lacazette last night took a knee in front of Czechi republic’s Slavia Prague during the EUROPA league to protest against ‘RACISM’ which some of the club’s players have been found guilty of , recently .
Slavia recently had defender Ondrej Kúdela banned for a further nine games under the UEFA banner after he was found guilty of racially abusing Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara in the previous round.
Footage showed Kudela covering his mouth and whispering something untoward in Kamara’s ear.
He reacted angrily and said “he’s f***ing racist” – with teammate Bongani Zungu telling the referee that the Czech Republic international used the word ‘monkey’ – with Kamara reiterating that was the exact slur he was subjected to.
He told ITV: “[Kudela] came over and said ‘you’re a monkey, you’re a f****** monkey and you know you are’. From there I reacted and said ‘he’s racist, he’s racist’.
“From there I had a lot of emotions going through my mind; angry, upset, I felt humiliated. All my family, friends, fans, whoever is watching, I felt like a little boy.
“Words can’t explain how I felt. Hopefully, I never have to feel that again. It was crazy really.”
The club’s conduct through various statements following the incident at Ibrox was widely condemned, while some of the supporters displayed a disgusting banner containing a vile racist message aimed at Kamara.
Arsenal were in fine form in the second leg, with Nicolas Pepe, Lacazette (penalty) and Bukayo Saka all on target in a breathtaking six-minute period in the first half.
Lacazette would then had a second in the 77th minute to give Arsenal a 5-1 aggregate lead and set up a semi-final with Villarreal, managed by former Gunners boss Unai Emery.
African Football Greats 