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Katumbi Fires Salvo At Zambian Players at TP Mazembe ‘Kalaba Becoming Big Headed’
By CATHERINE NYIRENDA in Lubumbashi, DRC
TP Mazembe proprietor Moses Katumbi has ticked off three ‘influential’ Zambian players in his team, saying he is disappointed with their dip in form.
Katumbi warned the players who ply their trade at the club that they should not be surprised if their contracts are not renewed.
Without mentioning names, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) mogul said the performance of Zambian players in his team, despite being given the best conditions of service was not impressive.
Katumbi said the Zambian players had of late shown lack of seriousness especially in training and this had affected their performance during games.
The players on the Mazembe pay roll are Jonas Sakuwaha, Given Singuluma, Nathan Sinkala, Hichani Himoonde, Rainford Kalaba and Francis Kasonde who are all regular features in the Chipolopolo squad. Defender Stopilla Sunzu, however is not on the list.
Katumbi said in an interview at his residence in Lubumbashi on Thursday that he should not be blamed when TP Mazembe does not give Zambian players a chance to feature in games because they were not serious as before.
“I got a lot of Zambian players who came here and I give them the best salaries; maybe in the whole of Africa, and you saw their performance in Gabon where they got the African Cup. It was because they were training everyday, but now you can see the performance of the Zambian players,” Katumbi said.
He attributed the 2012 Africa Cup victory to the effort that players were putting during trainings.
He said only Sinkala, Kasonde, Singuluma and Sakuwaha had shown their dedication to training and that they were serious players.
“It’s up to the Zambian committee to talk to the Zambian players, because their performance is very bad. I don’t know, maybe they think they have arrived,” Katumbi said.
On Kalaba, who was spotted in Lusaka on Thursday night and was reported to be injured, Katumbi hinted that he had advised him to be focused as his performance was going down.
He said regarding his injury, he advised him to remain in DRC, so that he could get treatment.
“We have the best medical facilities for players here. It is the best facility in all of Africa, which other African team players also use, but Kalaba opted to go to Zambia,” he said.
Katumbi said the team recently signed a new contract with a new coach.
The new coach is the former Mali National team trainer while the former coach now becomes the technical director.
He was saddened that most of the best African players prefer going to Europe simply because of lack of sponsorship from their countries.
He said he would consider pleading with various Governments in Africa to consider sponsoring footballers in their countries to retain best players that Africa has.
He said this was the reason why most African clubs cannot win the FIFA Club Trophy because the countries lose players to European clubs.A
He gave an example of Spain that won the recent World Cup, adding that most players play for local teams.
On Stophila Sunzu, Katumbi said he was aware of Sunzu’s desire to play in the English league and that he had no objection.
He said even when he sustained an injury, he offered to take him to Europe but Sunzu preferred to go to Zambia and that he was glad that the operation was successful.
He admitted that Sunzu was a good player who desires to go to Europe, but was quick to mention that he was free to come back to TP Mazembe if he fails to secure a place with a club in Europe.
He however, warned that competition at TP Mazembe was growing and that players had to fight for a place.
Posted by Editor
on May 25, 2013. Filed under LATEST NEWS.
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leBron
May 25, 2013 at 10:58 am
Kalaba thinks he has arrived seriously he has definately grown big headed,we can know see that he has got no future at TP as well just because he feels he has all the skills.it is high time zambians learnt to be humble on the pitch!!
Tym 4 change
May 25, 2013 at 11:04 am
Bakula imitwe ba ficolor No wonder our national team perfomance has gone down ,lack of seriousness.Kalu and renard get lid of thoz guys or sit them down as this is thier future and that we need more trophies not ka africa cup kamofe atase…very disapointed.Young players get on board so that you take over.
kalulumpunga
May 27, 2013 at 7:20 am
can’t spell “rid”?
Ben
May 25, 2013 at 12:14 pm
Katumbi is right
The mwamba
May 25, 2013 at 2:04 pm
Especialy kalaba and ths tonga fool called hichani himonde.
Umwina Zed
May 25, 2013 at 2:54 pm
Kalaba’s face shows a lot of arrogance. Whatever money he has made from TP won’t last. He must just behave
che
May 25, 2013 at 2:57 pm
Mwamba,
grow up.why didnt u call kalaba a bemba fool?its chaps like who discredit zambia!
kalulumpunga
May 27, 2013 at 7:21 am
All Tongas are fools!
D
May 25, 2013 at 3:52 pm
@sure talk abt Bembalised chap Kalaba especially! In a nut Katumbi shud know that he has all the right not to renew their contracts. What is his problem? The money he is paying them is not for free, they are working and they deserve it according to the contract.
Accumen
May 25, 2013 at 4:22 pm
Ubunag’ani ama Zambian,look at west Africans they are serious, hard working and they make it to the end even when they had already made a lot of money.
Mpangula Mputyu
May 25, 2013 at 5:05 pm
No wonder Zambia is NOT progressing. Ghana will pip us in our WorldCup group. Zambians this is a sad chapter, Kalaba has grown big headed.
The Money he has made was paid to him by Katumbi so he needs to put in more efforts.
We shall stone Kalaba & Himonde if we do NOT qualify to Brazil. It is better they drop out now.
Ba game
May 25, 2013 at 7:32 pm
player liwala bane thats the way it shud b, so jst leav the guyz alone they ar doing beta nd i lyk it.
Zotaya
May 25, 2013 at 7:38 pm
Katumbi is right, they have really grown horns on there heards, especially kalaba, azakateya kalast ngati asobela.
sad face
May 25, 2013 at 7:39 pm
Yaeh….. Go0d 1 he thinks he’s an elephant well he’s jst an ant…. F**k kalaba…..
Moffat Sakala
May 25, 2013 at 10:52 pm
We Zambians have such short memories,lets give Kalaba an opportunity to talk and get his side of the story rather than just get what Katumbi is saying as gospel truth.This is how good talent is wasted because we do not want to help solve the problem.
Good pay may not necessarily be the panacea, something is terribly wrong at TP and management must quickly zero in on real issues affecting the Zambian contingent
otherwise we are doomed and the dream of the World cup will just evaporate in thin air
Thepascal
May 26, 2013 at 1:41 am
You are the most sensible person here.Maybe the boys can make more money somewhere else.We should interview our beloved players and find out what is going on.
Gundamtambo
May 26, 2013 at 7:06 am
@ Moffat sakala, what do you mean when you say we Zambians have a short memory? The memories of the role Kalaba and company played in bringing the AfCOn to Zambia last year will remain ever green in our minds but are you implying that the lads now have the passprt not to be serious in their respective clubs? Will the AfCON Cup for zambia in 2012 mollify the desire for success at TP Mazembe today?
For me, what Katumbi is saying is advice that is coming from a caring person.Katumbi has observed lack of seriousness and all he is doing is to urge the players to work harder.Prior to 2012 TP Mazembe was doing extremely well and Zambia went on to win the AfCON.Juxtapose that with this years performance for Zambia and also see what is happening at Mazembe and one is persuaded to believe Katumbi is right.What kills talent is not advice but inflated ego.
ndanje kaks
May 26, 2013 at 2:56 pm
I once run a local Club, I gave up- Supporters & players are a problem. Supporters want to run the clubs including the National Team. In the ednd our players out of ignarance lose direction.
umupondo
May 26, 2013 at 4:25 am
That’s why the national team has gone down we need new players we hav a lot of talent o over Zambia
mwewa in South Africa
May 26, 2013 at 9:16 am
That is exactly a sign of our poor work culture in Zambia at every level. And that is why our players are not taken up by big clubs because of this kind of behavior. For sure Mazembe is the best club in Africa and only one has to work extra hard to play for them. The man Katumbi loves the zambian lads and he spends a lot of money which is supposed to be reciprocated by hard work. I even wonder if our National team will again make it to the World Cup 2014 with these kind of players. Look at all the players we have as proffetionals, only Singuluma and Mbesuma are playing regularly in their respective clubs. Zambian players should learn from their fellow players like the Toures,Kalou,Etoo,V.Moses,etc who are playing the best football competing with the best world players at all levels.
John
May 26, 2013 at 9:41 am
Bakalaba mwakula umutwe itole mwala pwafye nombaline mukabwele mukomboni ngamule Angala
mukaponoka fyebwino
May 26, 2013 at 10:07 am
kakalaba akamutwe ******
Zulu
May 26, 2013 at 12:39 pm
Like umwaiche Kalaba too much amahule.No wonder bapwila.
Vma
May 26, 2013 at 1:09 pm
Ba mwewa, who do u want to show that u r in S A?
lumwana barrick
May 26, 2013 at 3:46 pm
these guys will never play in Europe ,katumbi is finishing our material .why complain now, this time Sunzu would have been playing in Europe
zambian
May 26, 2013 at 6:12 pm
Typical of some zambian players, no wonder the national team fails to win. They are going nowhere soon they will start drinking chibuku shame on you.
musole sachipango
May 26, 2013 at 10:28 pm
Katumbi has provided us with the reason why our team has of late not performed well. With exception of very few, most Zambian sportsmen have a characteristic of shortlived glory. Late Lottie Mwale, Esther Phiri (rtd) and most footballers have not reached where others have. Even Kalusha never brought real wealth to establish a flourishing soccer academy like his peers in West Africa.
geff
May 27, 2013 at 1:06 pm
oh God, help our falling heroes realise what great talent and desire of us their funs so that they may stay focussed and live to shine now until you call them Amen
observer
May 29, 2013 at 3:25 pm
Aba baice balibele ukuchula.
They should learn from the past players who were far much better than tukalaba.they are a sorry sight.
Salif
May 30, 2013 at 11:09 am
These boys forget where they are coming from. Poverty! They become big headed soon as they make a few bucks. They should learn from their fellow players who are now wallowing in poverty after retiring from soccer. Katumbi is right and is just giving them free advice. Any one can see the performance of these boys when they play for Zambia. It is below par. They need to up their game!