Home Uncategorized You have betrayed Zambians for denying Kalaba a vote, Mawere tells Kalusha

You have betrayed Zambians for denying Kalaba a vote, Mawere tells Kalusha

25
2024

SPORTS minister Moses Mawere says Kalusha Bwalya has betrayed Zambians by favouring foreign players ahead of national team captain Rainford Kalaba.

Bwalya placed Ugandan goalkeeper Dennis Onyango and Zimbabwe’s Kharma Billiat whom he gave the majority of his votes as CAF executive committee member ahead of Kalaba during the vote for the CAF African-based player award held in Abuja, Nigeria last week.

Onyango subsequently won the award, ahead of Billiat and Kalaba.

In an interview, Mawere said Bwalya’s decision lacked morality especially that the nation had always supported him in his football career.

“It’s just the morality behind it. As minister I think what he did is betrayal to the entire country. If Morocco, Congo and others voted for Kalaba it means they know he is the best, but what does his own do? I think we have to be patriotic to our country,” Mawere said.

“I have seen and head a few people trying to justify that decision, that ‘no he was professional, he has a right’…but there is no justification for that. Everyone who was there voted for their own, it shows that he has no regard for other Zambians. I would only urge Kalaba to soldier on, forgive and not trust some people because this is a clear case of betrayal.”

He said he had received numerous calls from across the country complaining about Kalusha’s voting.

“Let Mr Kalusha find it in his heart to apologise to the Zambian people because Kalaba’s award was meant for Zambia. We have always stood for him when he wants to succeed and everyone expected him to do that for Kalaba and we are pushing for him to go to FIFA but now he has put us in an awkward position,” said Mawere.

“But I will still advocate that we support him for that position because we have to stand together as Kamanga goes to cast that vote in March at the congress. But I am not happy with what he did because we have to stand together in those times.”

[The Mast]

25 Comments

  1. The saddest part about this whole saga is the fact that their are people who still try to justify what Kalusha did when truth b told there is simply no justification to this level of betrayal.

    Yes his vote was probably not going to change the ultimate result but still that does not justify his actions. I have lost a massive great deal respect for this man. He has for many years raised our flag high on the globe but this is such an unbelievably low blow to the whole nation. I still cant fathom this level of disrespect to the people of Zambia and most of all the footballing family of Zambia that have supported him through thick and thin. This guy has simply turned himself from A HERO TO THE ULTIMATE NATIONAL DISGRACE!!!

    • You have always been very objective Steve.Reading these comments from you makes me want to ask whether somebody is impersonating you or not.Where exactly are our professional ethics with us Zambians.How do you advocate for a man everyone looks to and well vested in football matters being told to vote on nationalistic basis than on peformance based.This is what has killed not only our game in Zambia but even our poltical landscape.A lack of intergrity!

    • In your honest opinion, was Kalaba a better player than the other two during 2016 ? I don’t think so. Kalu did what was morally right and vote for the actual best. Lets not impose nepotism on him. Others do it I know, but we should not emulate wrong. I am not a fan of Kalu’s administrative capabilities but on soccer matters like this one, he got it right.

    • That is kalu for you. Ask Kenneth bubble malitoli among others who played with him about the amount of moral and technical support they received from him as faz president. Thus kalu for you.

  2. Kalusha disappointed me big time…this was probably Kalaba’s last chance to win it. I think Kalu’s still got negative issues with FAZ.

  3. First all CAF does not owe KALABA an award, so if the majority of the pundits judged him not to be the best, then let it be so. To be fair Kalaba has been instrumental for the success of TP Mazembe however he was not as good for Zambia in 2016 he played below par most of the time when he featured for Chipolopolo. I even remember the majority of those who were commenting on this website were suggesting that he relinquishes his captaincy as they felt he cant cope with the responsibility.

    Secondly, as I said before this is issue about the self-pity of Zambians,

    ➖ Onyango won the major club tournament in CCL plus 2 other club trophies. Nationally, he helped Uganda top the group and qualify for 2017 AFCON with 4 clean sheets, and his national team is no.2 in a 2018 FIFA WC qualifers, 2 clean sheets as well. For a keeper this is exeptional.

    ➖ Bulliat as Onyango teammate won 2 club trophies plus the big one. Nationally, he as well helped Zimbabwe top the group and qualify for 2017 AFCON with crucial assists and goals, but his national team sucked just like Zambia in 2018 FIFA WC.

    ➖ Kalaba won 4 club trophies, 2 of them are only 1 day tournaments. Nationally, he helped faded and became a shadow of himself. Zambia are currently struggling as they are involved in a dogfight of the weak in their 2018 FIFA WC qualifers group.

    So taking in all the player’s exploits into account, Onyango is clear winner and deserves Kalusha’s first vote. A vote filled with truth, fairness and merit.

    Im South African by the way!!!

    • I fully agree with you my friend.

      People voting along national lines is what is the problem with African football. Kalaba deserved the award in 2012 ahead of people like Aboutrika, but instead people cast votes based on sentimentality given the upheaval and political unrest in Egypt. Now we are asking ourselves to do the exact same thing, by voting for Kalaba simply because he is Zambian, but not based on his performance. Onyango and Billiat (sp) outshone Kalaba in 2016 and there is nothing wrong with that.

      Kalusha cast his vote as he saw fit. Why are we now holding this against him? I honestly would have voted the same way. Onyango won Champions league while Kalaba won the Confederation cup and given that Champions league > Confed. also Onyango and Billiat both qualified their national teams to AFCON and Kalaba did not so AFCON > 0. Big thing for Kalaba is that he was the top scorer in Confed which speaks volumes to his individual performances, but Onyango also only conceded twice in AFCON qualifying so I will go with Onyango as number 1.

      Lets learn to be objective and not emotional. Kalusha is not a cadre, he is expected to vote according to his own sentiments and his logic was sound so I say we leave him alone and move on.

  4. Billiat and Onyango can not much Kalaba’s success. 1.Kalaba has been to the afcon on several occasions. 2.He has won the continental trophies with T.P.Mazembe and the Africa cup.While his competitors have only one achievement. Let’s wait and see,for the Afcon if Billiat and Onyango will help their countries win the trophy the way Kalaba did.

    • After all we need to look at coaching difficulties Zambia have had during the qualifiers, in my humble assessment our failure was purely linked to coaching than individual players. Most of the players kept on changing in each game like basket ball players during a match. Look at the number of changes in defense, midfield and strikers during the qualifiers. The Team lacked on consistence.

      Kalaba has always remained a star player, in 2012 what killed him was the penalty miss in the final. That would have been ice-breaker for him, but he still has the edge for individual brilliance because of his small body, he still has a few more years. I like him when he plays on position no 10, just behind the strikers than coach’s preference for a winger.

      For qualifications of Uganda and Zimbabwe, these 2 two teams do not have a pedigree as a Team to beat in the recent years. Team played Zambia were more determined to beat Zambia than those who were playing Uganda and Zim, that helped them do well in the qualifiers

  5. Teach the minister that Zambia voted for kalaba, among 7 caf tech committee members, its only kalu who gave kalaba the highest votes.
    If the minister was a head teacher who can give free marks to his son by cheating , kalu is a professional who can not cheat like you do.

  6. IF you are not zambian keep your mouth closed up we never talk ofyour hungry zimbabwe or nigeria infested by boko haram so keep quiet fouls.

  7. Someone tell the minister that this is not Big brother Africa where you vote simply on grounds that someone comes from your country. I’m disappointed for Kalaba but truth be told the guy that won just about deserved it.

  8. Hold on guys. I agree kalaba has been overlooked , but I’m pro Kalaba and biased. Truth be told didn’t Kalusha block a potential FIFA award for Messi 3-4 years ago when he pointed out that the late G Chitalus had scored over a 100 goals in a season? After that FIFA and UEFA went quiet and we no longer heard about that award. Indirectly Kalusha put our legends on the map.

  9. We r tired of Kalusha”s unappreciative attitude! No foreigner or idiot will change our minds. We r actually suffering from ‘compassionate fatigue’. Therefore applying Kalu’s ‘lofty’ standards, we would strongly advise FAZ to cast a vote for Sekute Patel at FIFA! Why? He has a clean record; no ticket scum, no replica jersey scum, no pocketing gate takings etc. Kalusha wont complain we hv supported the former a foreigner. Got the idea?!!

  10. What happened to the same award in 2012 when we won the Africa Cup. Which player won the best African Player? Why none of the Chipolopolo took that award

  11. People what the Minister is trying to say is that he,kalu,needed to show some patriotism anyway kamanga don’t be foolish like him by not voting for him at fifa they say two wrongs don’t make a right.

  12. The Minister’s comments are childish, I can’t believe that he could not see it through. Kalusha knows Kalaba better football wise than most of us and don’t forget that Kalaba became Chipolopolo captain during his tenure. In 2016 ,Kalaba played below par for Zambia, and maybe even for Mazembe because he should have won Champions league if he was good as people claim. Watch what will happen to this Billiat Boy,,Europe is calling. He played very well yesterday against the dreaded Desert Foxes

  13. now come out people and talk zim and uganga are out uganda out of 3,1 point with 1 goal after 39 years of absence what a shame same to zimbabwe out of 3,1 point,ukumwenesha southern africa amakula otherwise it was a fluke paku qualifier

  14. AFRICAN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR 2017
    Onyango won CAF champions leagues, Qualified national team to AFCON, eliminated first round of both AFCON and Worldclub cup and was crowned African footballer of the year 2017 against Kalaba who won CAF confederations League, did not qualify to AFCON

    AFRICAN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR 2012
    Kalaba and Sunzu qualified national team to AFCON, won champions league, won AFCON and reached final of world club cup non of them were crowned African footballer of the year.
    Mohammed Aboutreika did not qualify to AFCON , did not win CAF champions league, did not take part in world club cup was crowned African footballer of the year.

    Take a look at this

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