African Football Greats

After choosing to represent Zambia over South Africa, Cyril MWENYA Chibwe went from being a pontential Bafana Bafana goalie, to missing in match day squads in the South African league and finally being clubless after his club Baroka fc got relegated from the top flight league.

He hasn’t received any offer from South African clubs , at least according to what is in public domain as he has been clubless since the beginning of this season.

He was more of a surprising inclusion in the Chipolopolo squad that is currently in camp preparing for the 2023 AFCON qualifiers in Ghana after he was given what many have described as a “solidarity caller up” as he has not been active through out the season.

However, recently, Chibwe has been linked with a move to a European club which many have speculated that the South African born shot stopper would be heading to Turkey.

The goal keeper has since disclosed to AFRICAN FOOTBALL GREATS that there is no offer yet from Europe.

He said he hasn’t received any offer from Europe yet as he is now focused on the next games with the Chipolopolo boys.

Chibwe has been Zambia’s first choice goal keeper and made the most saves in the previous AFCON and FIFA WORLD CUP qualifiers more than any Zambian keeper and also conceded the most goals.

Minister of Youth, sports and arts Elvis Nkandu has said government will secure a chartered plane for soccer fans to travel to Ivory Coast and cheer the Chipolopolo boys who will kick off their 2023 AFCON qualifiers campaign in June 3.

The minister has also called one players and all football stakeholders to unite and support the team to qualify to the next Africa cup of nations .

Nkandu was speaking during a media briefing today in Lusaka the football association of Zambia presented new Chipolopolo defender Frankie Musonda to the ministry who recently switched his international allegiance to Zambia from England.

The minister has also said government is doing everything possible to also conclude the naturalization process of Aime Mabika , a Zambian born defender of Congolese decent who switched allegiance to Zambia and has not yet been given a Zambian passport to be eligible to play for the Chipolopolo boys in the forthcoming AFCON qualifiers.

Zambian defender Frankie Musonda’s contract at his current club Raith Rovers football club which plays in the Scottish championship is coming to an end as the season concludes .

The 24 year old center back extended his contract at Rovers until the end of this season and clubs are now lining up to get his signature.

The Zambian is now being linked with a move to Scottish premiership side Motherwell who are said to be monitoring him.

According to Scottish journalist Harve McSony, Motherwell is looking for a defender and among those on their wish list is Frankie who has been impressive through out this season despite suffering injuries.

Other sources have also revealed that the player might extend his contract at Rovers or return to Luton town where he started his career.

No official information has since been unveiled from both ends as Frankie is said to be focused on his current club and his new international career with Zambia.

Frankie switched his international allegiance to Zambia from England this year and since then he has attracted attention from a number of scotia top flight clubs.

He is expected to feature for the Chipolopolo boys in the upcoming AFCON qualifiers subject to FIFA clearance .

He was recently summoned by Chipolopolo coach Aljosa Asanovic for a series of friendlies where he scored a goal to mark his start in the Zambian colors.

In an event that he joins Motherwell, Frankie would become the second Zambian to be signed by a top flight Scottish club after Fashion Sakala who has been electric for Rangers football club were he has so far scored 11 goals across all competitions.

The Football association of Zambia has thanked the government of Zambia for showing willingness to bid for the hosting of the Africa cup of nations. 

Speaking during the 2022 Football association of Zambia annual general meeting at the government complex in Lusaka on Saturday, FAZ president Andrew Kamanga said the association is available to provide the requisite information to facilitate  the bid process.

Kamanga said, FAZ will present the bid to host either 2027,2029 or 2031 AFCON editions in the next Confederations of Africa football-CAF congress in August this year.

“The prerequisite to host the AFCON is that a country must have hosted a CAF tournament before which makes me hopeful that we might be given the 2027, 2029 or 2031 AFCON especially that we successfully hosted the 2017 under-20 Africa cup.

-Adrew Kamanga

Zambia successfully hosted the 2017 under-20 tournament which they won , a thing which the FAZ chief describes as a qualification for the country to host the biggest football showpeice on the continent.

Zambia boasts of two ultra modern stadia; Levy Mwanawansa stadium located in the city of Ndola which has one of the country’s new and biggest airports.

The country also has the Heroes national stadium with a 60,000 seater capacity built in the capital city Lusaka.

With the Zambian government already expressing willingness to host the biggest football showpiece, the Country would have enough time to built more stadia before the 2027, 2029, and 2031 edition which are still up for grabs.

The southern African country also boasts of some of the best hotels in Africa especially in it’s biggest cities such as the Livingstone which has for many years been a tourist destination and as well as Ndola and Lusaka city.

Leicester city football club coach Brendan Rodgers has assured fans that Zambia’s Patson Daka will soon start scoring goals for the club again after a dry spell in his last eleven premier league games.

Rodgers is of the view that Daka has done well so far in his debut season after coming from a low ranked european league in Austria to one of the world’s best leagues.

“He is a player who in time will score many goals. It’s not always easy coming into a game.It’s just him adapting.”

Brendan Rodgers

After starting the season at Leicester city on a high having made a total of 15 goal contributions Patson Daka has struggled to find the back of the net for his English club who are ranking in 10th position on the premier league table.

The 2017 CAF African young player of the year award winner has so far gone eleven games in the premier league without a scoring a goal or providing an assist.

The Zambian has made 20 starts and scored a total of 10 goals across all competitions with 5 assists to his name at Leciester city .

He also scored a haul for Leicester city in the UEFA Europa league to become the club’s highest goal scorer in the history of European competitions with five goals, a record that earned him songs of accolades from fans.

Despite the heavy criticism from some fans , Rodgers has maintained that Daka is a good striker who can score at any given time and that he is just adapting to the English football style.

“He is learning , he is young and very ambitious. He will start scoring again.”

Brendan Rodgers

The Zambian CAF/FIFA medical officer Dr Joseph Kabungo who died during the World cup playoff match between Nigeria and Ghana will have his funeral held in the stadium to honor his contribution to the game.

The body of the late arrived in his home country Zambia on Wednesday afternoon via an Ethiopian Airlines flight ET873 and landed at kenneth international airport in Lusaka city.

Dr Kabungo died while on official duty in Abuja for the second leg, final qualifying match between Nigeria and Ghana that ended 1-1.

“The funeral service of Doctor Kabungo will be held at Woodlands stadium on Thursday with burial set for the same day at Memorial Park in Lusaka,” the football association of Zambia have confirmed.

Reigning African champions Senegal suffered a one-nil defeat to Egypt in what was a repeat of the just ended Africa cup final , in the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup qualifiers playoffs.

Senegal’s Saliou Ciss scored an own goal with only four minutes played to gift the pharaohs a first leg advantage in Cairo last night .

In the other playoff matches, Ghana and Nigeria revived their rivalry in Kumasi after playing to a nil-nil draw , while Cameroon suffered a one nil loss to Algeria at home thanks to Islam Slimani’s goal in the 40th minute.

Morocco also came from a one goal down to equalized and force a one-all-draw against ten man Democratic republic of Congo who took an early lead in the 12th minute with Brentford’s Yaone Wissa strike before Tarik Tissoudi equalized in the 76th minute.

The playoffs also saw Mali losing by a goal to nil at home to Tunisia and will have to overturn the tables when they fly to the North African country on Tuesday for the second and final leg fixture.

The second leg matches in the World Cup of the qualifiers playoffs will continue on Tuesday next week to determine Africa’s five representatives in Qatar.

Rapid striker Fashion Sakala scored his third goal in the Scottish cup on his third appearance in the competition to honor Zambia’s fourth republican President Rupiah Banda who died on Friday last week after battling colon cancer.

On Saturday, Sakala sent his Messege of condolences to the Banda family and his fellow Zambians .

“My deepest sympathy go out to the of a fantastic role model and great leader of our nation HIS EXCELLENCE MR RUPHIAH BAND. May God grant the family of our leader strength and comfort.”

President Ruphiah Banda who died at age 85 , was a staunch soccer fan and once served as chairman for the football Association of Zambia before he became president.

In 2012 when the chipolopolo boys reached the final of the Africa cup for the first time, the former President requested the then incumbent president Micheal sata to include him on the delegation that went to libravile , Gabon to cheer the boys who eventually won the biggest African football trophy for the first time in the country’s history.

When Sakala moved to Rangers fc, he gifted the former President of Zambia , a Rangers fc jersey to honor his undying support for Zambian football players.

Sakala has continued his fine form at Rangers as he has now better three goals in three matches of the Scottish cup for the Rangers side that have since qualifiers to the semi finals after thumping Dundee 3-0.

He scored the third goal of the match after coming on as a second half substitute to seal Ranger’s victory in the cup game.

South Africa and Guinea have snubbed Zambia and called off International friendly matches that were scheduled for this month in Paris , France.

The Zambian football association- FAZ had earlier announced that the Chipolopolo boys will play South Africa and Guinea this month in Paris which the South African football Association-SAFA had also confirmed but yesterday during Hugo Broos’s unveiling of his Bafana Bafana squad , Zambia was not mentioned as one of the countries they will play instead mentioned FRANCE and GUINEA.

SAFA had initially organized friendly matches against France and Zambia , while FAZ arranged one against South Africa and Guinea but “SAFA decided to lure Guinea and cancelled their friendly with Zambia”, said a close source at SAFA.

Guinea were set to play the Chipolopolo boys in France but more sources have confirmed that they have not communicated again with the football association of Zambia- FAZ whether or not they will be available before confirming their friendly against South Africa in the same period and venue.

The football association of Zambia is now expected to announce new opponents for the Chipolopolo boys for at least two friendly matches ahead of the 2023 Africa cup of nations Qualifiers.

The Zambian technical bench had planned to assemble all their european based super stars to play for the first time under new coach Aljosa Asanovic who took over the national team two months ago.