With the curtain coming down on 2016, the bolazambia crew looks at some of the highlights of the calendar year in football. By many standards the year has not been high flying with the Chipolopolo failing to make it to the 2017 Africa Cup in Gabon where they won the trophy four years ago. But that is just one episode of 2016.
10. Zesco United did the nation proud by making it to the semi finals of the CAF Champions League. It was something to smile about for a country with clubs that have become used to crashing out early in continental competitions. George Lwandamina’s lads only fell at the last hurdle away to Mamelodi Sundowns. With that feat Zambian clubs can begin to dream about hitting the levels attained by Power Dynamos in 1990 when they won continental silverware in the Cup Winners Cup.
9. On the brighter side the Zambia Under-20 made for a glory drought by at least winning the Cosafa Championship. That it was celebrated so much is symptomatic of how low the Zambian game has dropped in the post 2012 Africa Cup glory. Encouragingly it could be a launch pad for a possible new era with the 2017 Total Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil next year. Previously the Under-20 Africa Cup has heralded new eras with the 1999 class having given birth to notable Euro exports in Andrew Sinkala, Moses Sichone, Emmanuel Zulu, Chaswe Nsofwa and Gift Kampamba among others. From the 2007 came Emmanuel Mayuka, Stoppilla Sunzu, William Njobvu, Nyambe Mulenga, Hichani Himoonde, Clifford Mulenga, Fwayo Tembo and Roger Kola. The masses can be forgiven for being optimistic.
8. On the local front Mufulira Blackpool set a record of going an entire season without a win. The Super Division proved a tad too high for a club that had in yesteryears been a home to some of the finest talents the country had ever seen. Out of 34 games Blackpool could only manage 12 draws with 22 losses.
7. There was that awkward moment in the Zambian game when Zesco United coach George Lwandamina ditched the 2015 champions in the closing stages of the season for Tanzanian outfit Young Africans. Lwandamina had led Zesco United to a double winning season that added the Barclays Cup to the trophy cabinet. In 2016 he had taken them to the semi finals of the CAF Champions League. His departure has opened up the door for other coaches with Zesco now advertising the Head Coach position publicly.
6. On a high a Zambian player will have another go at the CAF African Player of the Year based in Africa award with Rainford Kalaba making the top three. His exploits with TP Mazembe where he won the CAF Confederation Cup will add to his chances where he comes up against two CAF Champions League winning stars in David Onyango and Khama Billiat. Either way it gets to come down to Southern Africa.
5. On the dark side we have had a bribe scandal engulfing Nchanga Rangers whose supporter’s association got recorded offering a bribe to a referee with the blessings of a referee. The Disciplinary Committee recommended the demotion of Nchanga Rangers but they were saved by the Appeals Committee that overturned the decision. More than anything else this episode should have opened our eyes to the dark side of the Zambian game.
4. There was yet a bigger scandal in the game with FAZ vice president Richard Kazala and committee member Blackwell Siwale accused of stealing K150, 000 out of the K1, 650, 000 that State House released for the purchase of match tickets for the Zambia versus Nigeria game. The duo allegedly took up the role of secretariat staff, a move that has earned them suspension. Football has yet to get over this drawn out scandal that will be adjudicated on by the councillors at the 2017 Annual General Meeting in March.
3. FAZ president Andrew Kamanga got elected to the Cosafa Executive Committee on his first attempt. It was something out of the blue for someone who had yet to firmly hold his place down back home where there are still pockets of resistance within his executive after having coasted to the top against heavy odds.
2. FIFA referee Jan Sikazwe did mother Zambia proud when he handled the FIFA Club World Cup final involving Christiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid and Kashima Antlers. Real Madrid won the match 4-2 with Sikazwe giving a good account of himself except that one moment when there was a ‘withdrawn’ red card against Sergio Ramos for a second bookable offence.
1. By far the story of 2016 was the victory of Andrew Kamanga who beat two-termer Kalusha Bwalya to the position of FAZ president. Kamanga was touted as a no hopper prior to winning the election but sailed through with a 163 to 156 margin. It was a victory that has yet to win universal acceptance from the vanquished as seen by the squabbling at Football House. The more enlightened may not have been too surprised as the wave of change had started at the very heart of the global game in Zurich where long serving President Sepp Blatter was shown the door following accusations of corruption. The less fancied Giannni Infantino took over and the clean up seems to be on in the global game.
In many ways 2016 was the Year of the Underdog as Infantino and Kamanga among others provide testimony.
Happy 2017!
(SOURCE: BOLAZAMBIA)
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