African Football Greats

23-year-old British born defender of Zambian decent Frankie Chisenga Musonda has continued impressing in the Scottish Championship making many Zambian soccer fans call for his inclusion in their national team.

He was born on the 12th December 1997 in Bedford , England to Zambian parents.

Musonda has scored 3 goals in 22 games this season for Raith rovers fc and has been named in the Scottish Championship team of the week three consecutive times.

He is 6 ft tall, with a well built body and aggressive movements on the ball befitting a defender and also possess good leadership skills on the pitch having captained most of his youth teams.

He can dribble, assist, defend and attack, a thing which has not only made Zambian fans crave for his services but also Raith Rovers fans calling for the extension of his contract as he is now attracting big clubs in Europe while being likened to top defenders like Real madrid’s Sergio Ramos.

With the Zambian national team struggling with defenders who conceded more than 10 goals in their last five international fixtures , many fans hope he will be called up ahead of the FIFA world cup qualifiers that kick off in June this year to fill up Stopilla Sunzu’s vacuum in the chipolopolo team.

After failing to qualify to the Africa cup of nations for the third consecutive time, the Zambia national team coach Mulitin “MICHO” Sredojevic said, the Chipolopolo need quality defenders and he will go flat out to identify “the best of the best” Zambian defenders.

And two weeks ago, the Zambian FA also told the press that they will invite some of the European born players who are willing to play for Zambia.

According to various reports, Frankie is willing to play for his country of origin , Zambia and has been waiting for an invite.

However, there are high chances that he will be the new chipolopolo center back as the former African champions seek to get back to their winning ways by cementing their porous defendence which has been their major weak department in their national team despite having some of the sharpest strikers and Midfileders on the continent such as the in-form RedBull Salzburg striker Patson Daka who is scoring goals for fun, rapid Kv Oostende forward Fashion Sakala, Midfileder Enock Mwepu among others who are making headlines in Europe.

Zambian striker Patson Daka’s agent Frederic Kanouté told Austria sky sports that the striker is ready for a new challenge.

After so many rumors which the agent has been hesitant to comment on, he has finally given a hint that Daka is now ready to move to a new club.

The former West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur player has told Sky Austria that the time has come for his client to make a switch this summer.  

According to various reports, the 22-years-old has attracted a good number of clubs that include Liverpool , RedBull Leipzig , Arsenal among others.

This comes after a brilliant campaign in Austria – scoring 30 goals in just 33 appearances in all competitions. 

Daka also scored the fastest hatrick in the history of the Austrian Bundesliga in 8 minutes after kick off.

When asked about the next step for the youngster, Kanoute had this to say: “I think it’s time for a new challenge at the end of the season, he really got going this season. He is developing almost daily.”

During the international break Daka told the press that he is ignoring all the rumors and only focusing on developing himself and issues to do with transfers and contracts will be handled by his agent as he declined to confirm numerous transfer rumors.

Ugandan national team captain and goalkeeper Denis Onyango announced his retirement from international football on Monday night after 16 years of donning the cranes jersey.

He wrote:

“I sit here with tears rolling down my eyes because after a lengthy consideration I have come to the decision of retiring from international football with immediate effect.

“It is a sad day in my life knowing that I will never wear the jersey of my beloved Cranes in front of passionate fans again. I will now become the number one supporter who wears the jersey watching from the stands or from home. It is through the Ugandan national team that I have grown from a boy into the man and father that I am now.

“For all the success that I have enjoyed in my career I owe so much of it to the national team. It was because of my national team that I got to play against all the best players from across the continent who play in top leagues all over the world. I played at the AFCON finals because of the Cranes. The joy of being at the AFCON finals after so many years was sweet. To sing my national anthem was the greatest joy that I will ever have being the ‘proud boy’ from Uganda that I am.

“I didn’t want to retire but I felt it is better to leave good memories and allow for the younger goalkeepers to compete for that jersey which I have worn with pride for 16 years. Everyone who has worked with me knows how much I enjoyed playing for the national team. My commitment and hard work were never in question. To everyone that I worked with especially coach Micho (Milutin Sredojevic) thank you for the patience, understanding and wisdom that you brought to me.

“To my friends, management of the Federation of Uganda Football Associations, Nsambya FC and SC Villa, teammates, managers, coaches, I say thank you. My biggest appreciation is to the fans and all the people of Uganda. I love you all. Football can never be as beautiful as it is without fans. Nothing can ever be better than captaining your national team. It was real. Salute to every Ugandan.”

Zambia’s Nkana football club fans have regained confidence that their team is now back on track after beating Tanzania’s Namungo FC home and way in the CAF confederation cup to keep their hopes of progressing to the quater finals alive.

Nkana who are battling relegation in the Zambian super league have not won a league match in their last five games which has seen them drop deep in the bottom four of the table.

Despite struggling in the local league, the Kitwe giants have given their fans something to smile about in the Confederation cup who took to social media to warn their next opponents that their team is now back on track and are now among the favourites to win the CAF CONFEDERATION CUP.

“UWAFITALA AKAIMWENA(The doubters will soon believe) Kalampa[Nkana] is back and we are winning the CAF Confederation cup”, multiple NKana fc fans reacted on social media platforms after a 1-0 win over Namungo on Sunday.

The fans are confident that the new signings which the club has made recently will soon change the Complexion of the Zambian super league defending champions’ performance.

Nkana who are now tied at six points with Egypt’s Pyramids fc need to atleast win their last two games against Raja Club athletic who have already qualified and later Pyramids fc in order to qualify to the next round.

They lost 3-0 away to Pyramids and 0-2 at home to Raja in their first leg encounters in the group stage.

The CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE is now down to eight(8) teams after a very tough group stage that saw some of the big names getting eliminated.

Here are the club’s that have qualified from each region on the continent.

North Africa has dominated the quater finals with five clubs namely, defending Champions and Egyptian giants Al Ahly sc, Tunisia’s ES TUNIS, Morocco’s Waydad AC and two from Algeria , MC Algers and CR Belouizdad.

They arguably have a very high chance of winning the title once again.

In southern Africa only two clubs have made it to the quater finals and all coming from South Africa. The two are in- form Mamelodi Sundowns who have arguably proven to be the strongest team to face in the competition so far and looks like a side that is ready to win the champions league.

The other club from southern Africa is Kaizer Chiefs fc that qualified as runners up on away goal rule after a 2-2 draw with Horoya fc. Despite struggling in their local league, the Amakhosi are not in the competition to be punching bags and southern Africans will be hoping they go all the way to the final and even win the league.

In East Africa, stubborn Simba sc are the only representatives after topping their group with a comfortable 13 points.

The club has clearly promised their fans that they want nothing less than winning the title and will do anything possible to win it.

West and Central Africa will not be represented in this season’s CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE quater finals.

Many fans are now eagerly waiting to see who will face who in what promises to be interesting fixtures in the top club competition on the continent.

Botswana Midfileder Mothusi Cooper is slowly settling in the Zambian super league since making his debut in February this year and has turned out to be a fans favorite.

Cooper who is in the books of Lusaka Dynamos football club since his debut, has received accolades from fans who many of them have described him as ‘a marvel to watch ‘

Despite his team recording only one win in their last five league matches , the Midfielder has won himself a man of the match award as well as a fan’s man of the match appreciation award.

However, fans are still waiting for the Zebras star to find the back of the net and help Dynamos finish in the top 4 and/or even win the league as they are sixth on the log table.

IS IT A COINCIDENCE ?

Here are some of the players of African origin that were either neglected and/or flopped after turning down call ups from African countries.

▪️KARIM BENZIMA 🇩🇿
In 2006, prior to his senior debut for France, he was approached by representatives from the Algerian football association (FAF) who sought to persuade him to play for their country but he declined the invitation, telling RMC: “Algeria is my parents’ country and it is in my heart, but I will play for the France national team.”

Interestingly, following Benzema’s comments in November 2019, Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi simply replied: “I’m very happy with the players I have.”

However, few years later , Benzima was dumped by France after his alleged sex tape went viral. Since today, the player who is arguably one of the best players in the world has not played international football. He has made several attempts to switch to Algeria but it’s too late due to FIFA eligibility rules.

▪️ADAMA TRAORÉ 🇲🇱
The wolves rapid forward was approached by the Malian FA with an attempt to lure him to play for Mali but he turned down the call up and chose his country of birth Spain.

Months later, Traoré suffered with injuries and has not scored a goal this season in the English premier league and made only one assist.

During the previous international break, Traore was left out in the Spanish national team squad because of his poor form in the Premier league.

Adama’s international career now remains in question marks as the hype has suddenly vanished in thin air and Spain slowly forgetting him.

▪️CHARLY MUSONDA JR🇿🇲
One of the most exciting kids that came on the scene with so much hype in the English premier league and kept the media talking. Charly was born from both Zambian parents in belguim.

The Zambian FA approached him to represent the chipolopolo boys but he openly refused and said “Zambia is my father’s country. I am Belgian”.

However, a few years later Charly was knocked out on the pitch with an injury and it has been injury after another injury , a thing that till today has threatened his career. Some doctors even told him he might never play again though he is now improving.

Charly has not been called up to the belgian national team and as it stands, he might never be called due to the competition in the world’s number one ranked national team, Belgium .

He is recovering and has been dropped to the Chelsea u23 hoping to make a come back to the elite premier league.

▪️MARIO BALOTELI 🇬🇭
An amazing player he is. One of the most fantastic players that might have gone all the way to even win the Ballon d’Or. Baloteli was born from Ghanian parents and was called up to the Ghana national team when he was only 17years old.

Baloteli refused and opted to play for Italy which he represented well.

However, few years later baloteli started complaining of being racially abused by both Italian fans , coaches and fellow players. He was later dumped by Italy and now he plays in the second tier in Italy.

Baloteli has openly regretted not playing for Ghana saying that perhaps they would have appreciated him unlike Italy that has been ungrateful to him.

▪️Gabriel Ogborlorhor 🇳🇬
After a successful season at Aston Villa in the English premier league the Nigerian FA sent representatives to woo him to play for the super eagles but he plainly told them he was not interested and that he preferred England.

His decision to dump Nigeria in preference for England backfired within a shortest period of time.

The English discarded him from their national team after just two appearances and since then he never featured for England again and has nothing to write home about his international football career.