Former Zambia striker Nchimunya Mweetwa has urged former internationals to use their experience and access to support the national team rather than publicly condemning players, coaches and football authorities.
Mweetwa, who has also coached Buildcon and Kafue Celtic, made the comments in a strongly worded social media post following renewed criticism of the Chipolopolo and its players.
“Let’s be technocrats, not fans. And let’s stop the clout chasing,” Mweetwa wrote.
The former striker argued that former players should understand better than most the pressures faced by footballers, particularly during and after international matches.
“A fan is allowed to criticize anyhow. He doesn’t know what goes on in the mind of a footballer, especially on match day,” he wrote.
“But us, former players – we should know better.”
Mweetwa said former internationals have direct access to players, coaches and officials and should therefore consider private engagement before taking their criticism to the media or social media.
“We have direct access. We have access to the coaches, the players, and the FA. We can call, we can visit the camp, we can advise privately,” he wrote.
“So why go straight to the media and social media to condemn your own?”
The former Zambia international also highlighted the potential impact of public criticism on players’ confidence, drawing on his own experience as a professional footballer.
“At the end of the day, we know exactly how it feels to be criticized publicly. We know the mental effects it has on a player. We lived it,” Mweetwa said.
“An attack on social media can destroy a young player’s confidence for months.”
Mweetwa, who began his career in Zambia before establishing himself in Finland with RoPS, also pointed to the development process required to reach the highest level.
He scored 17 goals in 24 appearances during his first season with RoPS before a serious knee injury disrupted his second campaign. He returned to action in 2010, scoring 13 goals in 23 Ykkönen appearances and finishing as the club’s top scorer.
Mweetwa later had spells in Uganda with SC Villa and Botswana with Nico United.
Reflecting on his own international career, Mweetwa questioned whether former players should be too quick to publicly single out current Chipolopolo forwards.
“Before I publicly condemn Patson Daka or Fashion Sakala today, I must ask myself: How many goals do I have for the National Team compared to Patson?” he wrote.
He also stressed that constructive criticism should not depend on whether Zambia has won or lost.
“Technocrats don’t wait for the team to lose to condemn. They give constructive checks and balances – even when the team WINS,” Mweetwa said.
Zambia have come under scrutiny following their recent AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign, with debate surrounding the team’s performances, selection and individual players continuing among supporters and former internationals.
For Mweetwa, however, the responsibility of former players goes beyond public criticism.
“We only have ONE national team. It’s called Zambia. Our duty is to build it and protect it,” he wrote.
“If you have nothing constructive to say, pick up the phone. Don’t pick up the microphone.”
