2012 AFCON winner Christopher Katongo has advised Chipolopolo Boys striker Fashion Sakala to pay a deaf ear to his destructors.
Sakala penned an emotional message on social media a day after the Chipolopolo Boys beat Lesotho 2-0 away in Johannesburg.
Sakala complained of the insults showered on him by Chipolopolo fans due to his style of play branding him selfish.
The 26 year old scored a goal and provided two assists as Zambia claimed 6 points to go second in group H on 9 points and just a point away from securing qualification for the first time since 2015.
Katongo has however come out to tell the Scottish based winger to continue playing the game and forget about the words from the fans and instead use them to fuel his hard work.
Below is the full message:
Fashion Sakala jnr mwaiche wandi, close your ears otherwise fans will frustrate you either home or abroad.
I for one was insulted mwaiche wandi with big and heavy insults, called names that if I had paid attention I would have stopped playing the game.
But I took my frustrations in training and trained harder not to prove them wrong but to just play a beautiful game I loved.
As a player you need to have a big heart, because such are situations of the game.
Continue playing the game the best way you know how mwaiche wandi and die for the badge chapwafye mbuya.
Teya chabe and vala matu mbuya. The world is yours for the taking. Remember fans always want a win and never a lose and they barely understand what you go through and you can’t explain yourself lyonse.
For me I say, teyafye kwasila mbuya.
Much love and respect for you FSJ
The way Fashion Sakala took this issue to the media, he won’t improve as a player. He showed a lot of arrogance in his comments. Telling supporters that is why I am in Europe this how we are taught to play. Personally I used to think he hard a big heart. Now I can see a very big headed player that hates honest advise. I am really disappointed.