There is just something remarkably thick about Kalusha Bwalya apologists. To them the 1988 African Footballer of the Year and Zambian football legend is infallible and can do no wrong.
Any little reminder of his occasional transgressions does not sit well with them. It gets so bad that it could eat them in their very private person. Even when he was globally fingered confessing that he had received US$80, 000 from disgraced Qatari businessman as a bribe for World Cup votes, there were those who still have the nerve to defend this brazen act of theft.
It was money that went straight into his personal account and he unashamedly said ‘yali ninkongole’. Even when he went about pocketing money from international friendlies whilst short changing players with money as little as K6, 500 for playing Brazil while the Brazilian FA publicly announced that Zambia received US1 million, he was still a messiah to them. He could steal at will and not be held accountable.
Any queries were dismissed as a witch hunt against Bwalya. So bad it has been sometimes that his supporters go so low as to blame his victims such as when he assaulted a journalist in a foreign country. It has always been about him and no one else. When the football family showed him the exit door at Moba Hotel on March 19 last year having served for 12 years at Football House first as vice president to Teddy Mulonga a man he undermined from day one and eight years as president, he did not believe what had hit him.
He still wanted more like his fallen godfather in Zurich Sepp Blatter. The brother has never forgiven the manner those gallant FAZ councillors turned their back on him at Moba Hotel. He had anointed himself as God’s answer to Zambian football, but as with everything, he had to go.
While Bwalya expects the entire Zambian football family to turn up for him and give him eternal glory, he has problems doing the same for mother Zambia and anyone that seems to challenge his status. Not too long ago he went about staging a funeral over wanting to be given a letter for his egoistic FIFA candidature. When he was reminded about the rules of engagement, he went all over town including pitting cabinet ministers against each other to grant him his wish. Football House was reminded by Bwalya supporters about being patriotic and they budged despite having committed to support a single Cosafa region candidate.
The same man who had everyone singing about the country supporting his FIFA bid went out of his way to vote for other candidates ahead of Zambia‘s Rainford Kalaba in the CAF African Player of the Year based in Africa award. Not that it was going to be a favour given the roller coaster ride Kalaba had with TP Mazembe racking seven goals from midfield and also getting the CAF Confederation Cup gold medal and the CAF Super Cup gold medal. Add to this that in the previous year (2015), he was part of a TP Mazembe side that won the CAF Champions League. Kalaba has been consistently above average since 2012 compared to his other two finalists. Bwalya did not even rate Kalaba second but third and we can only speculate that if there had been 10 other candidates he may have rated the Chipolopolo skipper 11th.
It is clear that Bwalya wants to eternally be the only acknowledged face in the Zambian game. He cannot stand another name even being remotely mentioned in greatness.
It’s unsurprising there are people already flaunting the objectivity card but since when did Bwalya ever embrace objectivity whenever he had the gun to the country to fulfill his wish list. In case you are oblivious, ask those that hold political power what he wanted for himself in the aftermath of the August 11 elections. Even President Edgar Lungu himself will take a long time to recover from that extraordinarily lavish demand all for just kicking out 11 footballs at crowds during political rallies. But that is a story for another day. For now tough luck Master Rainford Kalaba, genuine Zambians counted you among the best. We believe you are the best on the continent this term. Our own has helped CAF rob you! It shall be well Rainford.
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