Fashion Sakala was one of the most exciting talents both at the U20 AFCON and World cup tournaments and hence the fans expect the same at the senior level. No one can blame the fans, I mean it seems just reasonable that one their favourite players from the team that brought so much hope hope, More like awaken the sleeping giant in Zambian football fans, Should also shine at National team level.
Well, Senior National team and U20 are two different levels and it will take time for him to fit in due to alot of reasons. Their is the Enock Mwepu who seems to have fit in just perfectly well he is an exception and for Mwepu hee has been helped by the fact that Kondwani Mtonga in the middle of tHe pitch is doing alot of the dirty giving the ‘Computer’ room to thrive.
After assessing the situation I have come up with factors that have not worked in favour of the talented winger this far.
EXPECTIONS ARE TOO HIGH
Soccer fans will always expect alot out of their players . Even when the odds are against a team fans will expect them to pull out a miracle, Unfair right? well that’s how cruel the beautiful game is. The fans expect a show from ‘ The Show man’, their star.
Prior to his debut he was quoted in an interview to have asked fans to not expect alot from him as he could disappoint them, Meaning he also knew just how high the expections where but then again it comes with the high bar he set for himself. The fans expect him to keep doing better than he has been doing, somewhat a far fetched notion.
NEW TEAM MATES, YET TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER WELL
The major reason why the U20 performed as well as they did is the time they spent together as a team jelling and understanding each other. The U20 become more of a family which takes time to build. He seems to be one of those who take a bit of time to settle but once they do they explode. The coach should keep calling him and let give him chance to jell properly with his new team mates because once he settles he can be a valuable asset to the team and to the Qatar 2022 Project.
NOT HAVING ENOUGH OF THE BALL
Sakala depends on having alot of the ball to play his game, which has not happened in the previous two games. Our midfield has not fed him enough of the ball for him to have his normal game.
THROWN IN THE DEEP END
He made his debut against Algeria at Heroes Stadium and everyone can admit that the match is big as they come. The coach After the match said
” The boys did very well, We threw them in the deep end and they swam,”. It was a big match and probably the biggest of his life.
PRESSURE
Fashion is one of those players who wants to always perform when on the pitch and thats what should happen in an ideal world but this is football. Even the best of players fail to perform at one point and it’s just normal. He puts too much pressure on himself to make sure he performs which at times may work against him.
Fashion remains a very talented an valuable player who just needs time to get his act together and get back to making headlines on the pitch. It will happen and it may be sooner than we expect.
But Daka…has taken the goal scoring burden and thrived…even when he doesn’t …he contributes..to the tteam…with Fashion…we just don’t see his contribution when he is not at his devastating best…he needs to learn how to be a team player
Players are not the same.fashion is talented and he needs more time.the coach should continue calling him.The other players the coach should not give up on them are,luchanga,lubambo,and all the under 20 squard
@KM you right on everything, @Soccerguru I agree with you but don’t you think Patson was given more game time from U17 to senior national team? He lacks contribution attitude and should learn how to be a team player as you have said it.
Fashion at the moment belongs to the Chipolopolo bench, he is not a starter. He has his work cut out to compete with the likes of Austin Mbewe, Augustine Mulenga, Kalaba who are much better than him! I have a sneaking feeling his time in the Russian league may not yield much, and progress may be stunted; Chisamba being a case in point.
Learning takes time.The boy plays for a bigger club in Europe and im sure he is learing a great deal.Lets encourage him.
Fashion can start by not being selfish n crossing the ball to those in a better position.
In terms of talent you can’t compare fashion to patson or mwepu. These two are naturals especially mwepu. fashion uses power to play the game and packs a very hard shot but thats all about him.
The amount of attention he has been drawing surprises me. His a media star, makes adverts and all that, where did it come from? He speaks with aggression where did that come from too? That speaking could be a limitation in his ability in the use of English language, understood. He enjoys a good cry and all that. But Fashion lets how see he comes out of this. Easy boyi…When is the next game for Zambia?
He is media guy. Lol. What to watch him soon.
Fashion is one for the future.He should try to improve on his team work.Case in point was when he was released by Mwepu in the game against Nigeria with a great opportunity tom lay the cross but opted to shoot from a very tight angle.Thats his biggest weakness.Whats the hype about a player only good enough for a reserve team in Russia!
The problem Fashion has is equally the problem Kalaba has. These are players who would rather shoot & miss golden opportunities than give to well positioned players. LEARN TO BE TEAM PLAYERS BA MAMBALA IMWE!!!
Lol … tell them my brother ! Hope they’ve heard this time.
Lets encourage the boys.. Fashion has shown what he is capable of..he just needs to put less pressure on himself and play team ball. He has a lot of heart and passion for the country, so much so that he goes blind and tries to carry it all on his shoulders… thats a “negative” we can work on unlike the reverse where some players dont always die for mother Zambia. No need to bring in useless comments like he plays for reserve team in Russia, by now every Zambian should know that names count for nada against a well oiled Chipolopolo…
The kid is playing in a reserve side…give him time to develop!!
@Mubajnr
You make great points in the article BUT, your second point on “NEW TEAM MATES, YET TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER WELL” is cliché. It’s an over used statement that is only true at unprofessional level. The guy we are talking about is supposed to be a seasoned professional who just recently signed for a top European club.
Just pose for a moment and imagine that the teenager Kylian Mbape on recently signing for PSG from Monaco or Kante on switching from Leicester to Chelsea would ask for time “to gel and get to know their new team mates”! That’s career suicide!
See I don’t mind you & even I using that line at some occasion but I mind that we use it so often that our young professionals actually begin to believe it. May be that’s why other youngsters go to Europe to sign pro contracts but ours go for trials first.
Seriously for a nation that put together a team to replace the Gabon disaster victims to hit the 1994 Afcon Final & Miss World Cup ’94 by a point while our fallen heroes’ bodies were still warm in their grave, we have no excuse to join those who would summon the “need time to gel” argument.
If you remember how much time we had then, if you remember how much time Nkana who themselves lost 6 players in that Gabon crash had before they won that next league title, if you remember how old Kalu had as an 18 year old jetting into the European league to compete for a position with Romario… well, that’s how long Fashion Sakala has if he wants to play BIG! Mommy time is over, it’s Hail Mary time now when boys become men.
Amen ???
LET THE THE BOY BE!HE WILL JELL AT THE RIGHT TIME RUSHING HIM WIL NOT DO PATIANCE PAYS