Football expert Ponga Liwewe says the selection of Christopher Katongo and Isaac Chansa into the CHAN squad is detrimental for the long term development of the next generation of players.
Liwewe said Zambia should be looking at bigger objectives such as qualification for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
He said to include two players who will not be a part of this qualification process in a developmental team loses sight of the purposes of these competitions.
Liwewe said in his Facebook posting that he has always been opposed to the selection of players from the senior national team into junior sides as it adds nothing to their development and denies those players who need the experience to get to the next stage of their growth.
Coach George Lwandamina on Monday revealed that he has added Katongo and Chansa to his CHAN squad that will play in Rwanda finals.
Meanwhile, Isaac Chansa has expressed delight at being recalled to the national team set up adding that he believes his experience will add value to the team at the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament which starts next month in Rwanda.
Chansa, currently on the books of Zanaco, is one of the two Afcon winners who have been drafted into Lwandamina’s 26-man squad along with Christopher Katongo who plays for Green Buffaloes.
“The coaches have shown that they still have belief in me and I want to repay them by working hard because it is not going to be easy. I have to work hard to win a place in the first eleven. Otherwise, it feels great and I am very honoured to be back in the national team,” Chansa said following Tuesday’s morning training session in Lusaka.
Chansa, 31, has 61 previous appearances for the Chipolopolo which all came between 2004 to 2013.
He reckons that the current crop of players is very skilled and that even if he does not get to play, his contribution will be valuable in other areas.
“My experience and that of Chris will definitely make a difference in the team, not only in the field of play but also in terms of advising the younger players.
“Our 2012 Africa Cup of Nations experience will come in handy for the young players.
“Personally, I hope that my presence in the team will help instill a winning spirit when we get to the tournament,” he said.
“In training, we will try and push everyone; we want to work hard because the teams going to Rwanda want to become champions and we are one of them.
“We have won the Afcon before; we know how sweet the victory is. That is what we are pushing for.”
Chansa added that there will be a lot of expectation placed on him and Chris but they they too are only human.
“The team has been doing well with young players. They might have made mistakes but we all learn through mistakes. Even the big players make mistakes and we as senior players we have been watching and we know that the current squad has a lot of talent. It is just a matter of time and experience, they will bring joy to the country.”
[Lusaka Times]
Pongo Liwewe has never convinced me in his football analysis.His negative out burst on calling of Chris and isaac to the National team is wrong,why hasn’t he mentioned Mbesuma and Kalengo because they almost of the same age if that is the reason he is giving.
To me, Pongo is a wrong guy to comment on football matters in this country because he fails in most cases.To start with, he spent almost a decade at Copperbelt University studying Business Administration instead of 4 years.Secondly,in 2007,he was asked if there were any chances of Zambia beating south Africa for 2008 Afcon qualifier.He said Zambia can’t beat South Africa under Per era but what happened we white washed them with the presence of Ben Macathy.Lastly, but not the least because the list endless.He criticized the the positioning of Sunzu to a diffender from the midfielder.To him every thing is wrong.Mind you i haven’t talked about Power Dynamos issue.yes i can agree with him to include young ones but it should be gradual.
If you saw that team which perished in Gabon,it included old and young players if you compare it with the one which represented us in 1992.Moses Chikwalakwala,Robert watiyakeni,Moses Masuwa,Patrick Banda, Godfrey Kangwa,Kenani Simambe, Kelvin Mutale,Numba Mwila but even the old ones were.e.g Samuel Chomba, Eston Mulenga, John Soko,Timothy Mwitwa,Darby Makinka, Efford Chabala and many more.So babwana mwatoba.
GOOD ANALYSIS
Ponga you ought to understand that we can’t just build a team with all young players! We need experienced players to groom young stars. What about Kalengo and Mbesuma? 31years has become a big deal? 2017 WC we need experienced players to qualify the team. Young players have disappointed us big time! This is a reason Lwandamina has turned to Chris and Chansa. I thing the subject here should be, are the two fit for the challenge?
I thought he is the one who can succeed but I can see he can’t lead faz going by his utterances
ponga go back to south africa
I mean succeed kalu for faz president
He is just like smataa smataa criticizing every things I think we need a man with a proper plan to lead faz not these good for nothing and ambitious men
I agree with Ponga 100%. We are too myopic in our thinking and wonder why we don’t improve. The only way these local youngsters improve is by being exposed to serious competitions win or lose.
I don’t agree with you coz we need at leat to have landmarks in the team and we can build on that
These young stars have been given chances and chances but they have failed to deliver.example were is bruce musankaya tell me
Can someone tell me which young player in the under 20 and 23 can replace chris katonga and isaac chansa we have failed to find a replacements for these two players then someone is saying no ponga is right.this team need expriance in order for it to be stable
I think ponga had nothing to say
Common Sense is not common to some people,politicizing can’t build anything I wander at times the school of thought they apply
Mr ponga, you can only say that when the team is doing good.but with these dissappointments i see nothing wrong with the inclusion of old school guys.
so ponga is dull I thought he knows football
Hahahaha! Ponga just go back in south Africa and analyse laduma.
Ponga is clearly offside here.On the other side as a proud chipolopolo am watching a 2012 afcon final dvd.mayuka kept ivory coast players on their toes and Chris just led team perfectly.Zambia is a powerhouse in Africa in as far as football is concerned.we just need serious people to steer the game.
The problem with zambians is that they dwell so much on past glory and that is the reason why our fortunes continue dwindling.Ponga is spot on and some shallow minded pipo are dismissing the sense that he is puting forward. What a shame.
Agree d , ponga by far off side and bad timing, because the facts are before him, the young ones left on their own, totally nothing wil come out of it.The school of thought that can squarely fit in this case is that of VYgostky( zonal of proximal development & scaffolding) Please those who are close to Ponga , tell him study also PSychology not ama analysis aya fake.
Forgive ponga he is brainless
Ponga seems to be premature in local analysis,going by the current local available players in the Zambian league,katong and chansa are better and more experienced as field teachers for the young players for the local current national team.Ponga hopeless.
mr liwewe is right in line wit development but its not applicable to us zambians(chipolopolo) as we abruptly weaned off all senior players from the team,leavin no advise of the field of play. This is y Gatuso & Tsunami are a must inclusion. Jose landlord shud b there as wel to dictate our defence.It worked 4 Ghana in AfCON 2010 Angola wit stev appiah.Chelsea rumoured to ve Drogba in the same respect.LETS GO ZAMBIA.
Katongo is finished bane,even at GBFC he is a passenger who only waits for a penalty to score.
ur a usless paper as Ponga.u blong 2 malawi catching fish in lake malawi u fishman.
i think his jst a useless paper(Ponga)no ned in our exercise books,
Developmental everyday . What we want is winnig whether by granfathers or grandchildren
Mark my words,CHAN is just around the corner. The only problem with us Zambians is that we are enemies with the truth. Katongo alipwa!
Katongo tapwa nangu panono number iyo bamupela if you want to tht katongo is not finished let him be given number seven and not in midfield
The concept of CHAN is sbout developing young local players who lack the platform to showcase their skills at the international level. Therefore including players like Chris and Isaac goes against this concept. Think Zambians, don’t jst condemn Ponga be broad minded.
Its a fact, Uncle Chris is finished.
I think what matters in football is the current performance when he talk about development is right but inspiration is needed to young ones ” there is no present without past”. What is needed in Zambia to improve ? 1. Select the players on merit these will make players to work hard. 2 let players feel that is a rely to player for National team if u dnt play well 3. Faz shud not interfere in selecting players. 4. Faz shud hate the players you knows his rights WHERE IS “Moses sichone” ????
THIS IS USELESS,PONGA HE DONT KNOW WHAT IS TALKHNG ABOUT
ba Zamfoot, when did Ponga become a ‘Football Expert’?
Bring our best prayers
ponta I was one of those who made noise for you to come and drive FAZ, but with this, my conclusion, I had a wrong candidate. what is the purpose of under, 17, under20 and under 23? don’t you think, that’s there platform for exposure? so long a man still has football in their legs, they should continue playing.
I expect pipo to be calling for the inclusion of Moses Phiri, Charles Zulu, Allan Chibwe etc not going back to spent chickens.
Going for spent chickens will not take us anywhere. CHAN is a developmental tournament and we need the inclusion of players like Moses Phiri, Charles Zulu, Allan Chibwe etc if we are serious.
Charles Zulu is in the squad but for Moses Phiri, i don’t the reason why he was omitted even Walter Bwalya is needed unless otherwise.
the national team is not a developmental class. players are developed at club level because they play every week. national team is only for the tried and tested. for you ones, their platform is under 17, under20 and under23. unless they do extremely well, no baby should be trusted without nappies
I agree with ba @90, the national team is for players who have proved themselves and U17,20,23 are the developmental purposes hence maybe Ponga should think twice before he posts anything on his twitter or whatever.
Ba zamfoot have u shut down this site or u will only comeback after the holidays?
to b honesty ba chris bena balipwa.
Zamfoot get us news what is happening there are local transfer news and the Aaron kateba issue
Zamfoot is on industrial break,gentlemen please.
Both players are welcome. The young ones have been very disappointing.
The young ones need someone to look up to. Chris is that man. You cannot take a whole squad of fresh undergraduates to Afcon. That would be a disaster. Experience counts. Ponga, revisit your argument. You may need a fresh hypothesis.
We need ideas. Paradox is missing. So is Mumbi. When brains are at work, they are nowhere to be found/seen.
Ponga Liwewe’s analysis is a miss. Experience is the best teacher one can ever have. Here is proof.