IRON LADY, COL KATOBA THROWS HER HAT IN THE RACE

Councilors will next month have a chance to elect their favorite candidates into office as the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) elections come alive.

Green Buffaloes Women’s Football team President and proprietor of Queens Academy Football Club, Colonel Priscilla Katoba is one of those running for office under the Women’s representative category and the ZamFoot Crew caught up with 44 years old to get to know her and her plans for Women’s Football.

Col Katoba has been in the limelight of late following revelations of her works which includes sponsoring five players from Green Buffaloes Women’s team to school. She has also sponsored about ten coaches in Kabwe helping them get their FAZ and CAF badges.

Col Katoba is also taking a number of girls in Kabwe to school including Niza, A striker at her Club Queens Academy and Zambia U-17 Women’s national team, She started sponsoring Niza when she was in grade eight and now she is in grade 12.

FULL INTERVIEW

ZC: Who is Col Priscilla Katoba?

Col: Colonel Priscilla Katoba is a 44-year-old commissioned lady Officer in the Zambia Army. She was commissioned 22 years ago and she is currently a Deputy Director-General Finance Branch.

I was born on 11th Jun 1976 in a family of 8 and I am the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Katoba. I am married to colonel Innocent Chewe and have two kids.

ZC: When did you get involved in Football?

Col: I got involved in football way back in my early years as a girl. As indicated in the only daughter, all my brothers played football in the school teams and back home they would engage me to play with them.

I got involved in the sport like a football administrator when I joined the Army, and in 2014 the Army Command appointed me as the President/ Chairlady of the Army women’s sponsored club (Green Buffaloes Women FC).

ZC: What motivated you to get involved?

Col: I got motivation from my late dad, (Mr. Fredrick Katoba ). My late dad was a President and sponsor of Sala United football club in Nampundwe area Mumbwa District, he loved administering football and being his only daughter he always carried me along to watch the men play, the love of the game grew into me too and so I could talk soccer with my dad, and when I grew up I could always remember the days I joined dad cheering the men he sponsored all his life, only death separated him from soccer, and I could always speak to myself that I want to be like my late dad, a football administrator.

ZC: What makes a good Administrator according to you?

Col: A good administrator is one who is a leader. A leader is a person that leads by example, one who listens to the needs n challenges oh his/her followers and solves their problem within his/her means.

ZC: What are some of the challenges you have seen in Women’s Football?

Col: Generally speaking, sponsorship is the biggest challenge that the game of football is faced with. Equally, even when we talk of women football too.

The other challenge that the women football face is that of not having a well-structured women league. Also, the attitude by our society towards women football is another challenge, as u know our culture doesn’t allow a girl child to kick the ball, therefore women football has not been fully accepted especially parents are still hesitant to let go of the girls.

ZC: What do you think is wrong currently in the Women’s Football sphere?

Col: I will answer that question in five parts.
a. Lack of knowledgeable women football administrators that understand women football the needs of the girls in general.

b. Lack of a well-structured women’s league.
c. Women Football lacks exposure to the public, as a result, there are no sponsors coming on board to help out and develop the game.

d. There’s no equality in the game especially when it comes to the conditions of service as compared to their male counterparts even at the level of National teams.

e. Lack of enough well-trainedWomen coaches and managers.

ZC: Do you have any mentors?

Col: My late dad remains my best mentor, I loved the way he administrated the club.

My female mentor is the current and first-ever FIFA Secretary General madam Fatma Samoura. She inspires me a lot, and I feel I have a lot I can learn from her, and at her level and achievements, I feel she is the best female football administrator that I look up to she is my role model.

ZC: Why have you decided to stand for the FAZ Exco now?

Col: I have decided to stand because I feel I can bring a positive change to end certain challenges faced in the administration of the women’s football.

I understand women football looking at the vast experience that I have with GBWFC and Queens sports Academy Ladies FC. Women Football needs women football administrators that understand and know the experiences of the girls, women that have handled the game at that level, and I feel I have the experience and I am equal to the task.

ZC: Personal Motto?

Col: Develop and Promote equality in the game.

ZC: What should the councilors vote for you?

Col: 6 years experience in women’s football as President for GBWFC. Under my leadership, GBWFC has been champions of Lusaka women’s league 6 times, GBWFC has for the past 4 years won the agricultural and commercial show tournament, GBWFC won the first-ever 2016 charity cup, they have reached the finals of the first-ever introduced provincial tournament.

GBWFC boasts of being the first club to have a player on sponsorship, memory Phiri is at Oklahoma university studying medicine and playing football.

GBWFC broke another record by having a player playing professional, Barbara Banda striker in 2018 went to Spain, Logrono, but has since moved to China Shanghai

GBWFC contributes players to all National Women’s team categories.
GBWFC boasts of being the only team that contributes coaches to all the National Women’s team categories

Beauty Mwaba… Senior National Women’s team

Charles Halubono…..U20 National Women’s team

Carol Kanyembo….U17 National Women’s team

I also own a ladies’ football club, Queens Academy Ladies FC in Kabwe, central province. Since inception in 2018, They have been champions of the Central Province Women’s league,

This season they are leading the table and they have also reached the finals of the first-ever introduced provincial tournament.

The club also boasts of contributing 2 players to the U17 national team, Niza Njovu a striker and Margaret Chileshe a Goalkeeper.

Among all the candidates contesting for the position of Women’s REP in the FAZ EXCO, there’s no one that comes close to these achievements.

I am a lady of passion for the girl child, I identified Barbara Banda, Mary Mwakapila, Martha Tembo, Hazel Nali to mention but a few, and some of these players I bought them using my own money, with the help of the coaches I mentored them and made sure Barbara Banda went to play professional football.

I’m a lady of action and for me; It’s about what I can do for football, and not what football can do for me.

(ZamFoot Crew)