ZAMBIA Air Force commander Lieutenant General Eric Chimese has ended the tug-of-war over players between FAZ and Red Arrows, saying the association should find alternatives.
Chipolopolo coach George Lwandamina has included goalkeeper Danny Munyau, defender Benedict Chepeshi, Paul Katema and striker Festus Mbewe on his provisional team list for the CHAN tournament to be held in Rwanda.
Red Arrows refused to release the four players as they have been recruited to undergo military training, but FAZ general secretary George Kasengele remained optimistic that the players would be available after engaging the club.
Lt Gen Chimese told FAZ to forget about the Arrows’ players and find alternatives because the air force was not ready to compromise military procedure.
Chimese explained that players’ careers “expire”, hence they needed to be in employment to sustain themselves afterwards.
“Just eliminate them (from the national team). Those guys are going under military training. These guys (FAZ) even know. What happens is that their (players’) careers expire. They have been air force employees, loyal air force employees. As soon as they stop catching balls in those goalposts they will be jobless. But meanwhile they are just 30 or 25 years old. And the moment they miss this chance, that’s the end,” Lt Gen Chimese said.
“Where is Mr Kalusha Bwalya? Tell him to ring me. I told him I delayed this course because the Under-23 characters were going to Senegal. I delayed the course, these chaps were supposed to do it the first week of November.”
He asked FAZ to find alternatives because the country had many players but Arrows’ players were not available at this stage.
He said even FAZ wanted the players to be in formal employment.
Lt Gen Chimese said he had not seen any letter from FAZ asking ZAF to release the players, adding that even if he had received it he would not compromise military procedure.
In the photo L-R: Danny Munyao, Festus Mbewe, Chris Munthali
[The Post]
Let the boys sort out their futures first, let’s excuse them. We don’t need festus mbewe anyway..
Better kaili some pipo kept on benching munyau and chepeshi with festus kuwayawayafye
Wow. mauless. Its their boss so let them go military way after its just three months then Chepeshi n Kate MA will ve gained bit of strength.
Lord knows this wouldn’t have happened if Zambia was winning games. Surely, CHAN is only 4 weeks long. Well, it’s a moot point at this stage.
The training will instil discipline in these players.baba palaushe sana maka maka copral festus his height is also good for military
I just love the Military language ”these chaps” LOL! This is indeed a blessing in disguise, wow!!!!! Ati Paul Katema, Benadict Chepeshi, Festus Mbewe – Amakula yabantu!!!! How i wish that Mkandawire chap played for Arrows too! I dont want to see these chaps near the National Team! The only player i may miss is the goal minder Munyau
Ati ‘the U23 characters’, Just ‘eliminate them’ from the National team. Hmm, fyonse fya nkondo nkondo fye.. kekekekeke
@Luapula bize I couldn’t help but notice the language too….”ati chaps…characters”….lol….boma ni boma
@Dynamite: Indeed Boma Ni Boma.. LOL!
What the general is saying is correct football is the shortest career.let them go for military training,if I was one of these boys I can choose military training than going to play at the chan tournement.
Luapula bize i agree with you
The general z ryt bt the language? We nt in a war of words.
let them go we have a number of good players better than those chaps.
I like the generals language
These chaps
These characters
He should have included
One word I was lashed at
“These bag a r’s
Directed off course at faz officials
Only player I’m worried about here missing in our chan team is Munyau, all the rest are kulas we don’t need. This training will be good for chepeshi with that small body of his. Wish them all the best anyway.
The boss is right. The chaps are under contract. Its just that if they are really talented and make a good and honest living with football the rewards are quite substantial compared to the peanuts of government salaries. Who knows maybe they can even buy new handbrakes for the MiGs or whatever!!!!
Let them go for training with ZAF
This is ridiculous. The general us wrong. If the players were needed for the world what would have been his response? If they were athletes going to the Olympics, what would have been his response?
In addition, the training can be rescheduled to some other time. What sort of war are we in that these “chaps” have to by hook or crook do the training now. Government departments must work Hand in hand. I don’t see how detrimental this would be to the careers of the chaps or the department. Let us all be reasonable in certain circumstances. It is not a matter of how good the players are but the reasoning for not releasing them.
Correction: if the players were for the World Cup…..