Why Are Strikers Goal-Shy?

SOCCER REVIEW with STEPHEN PHIRI
THE 2015 Super Division campaign is coming to an end on Saturday.
All the eight games will be played at the same time to avoid match fixing especially for teams avoiding relegation.
Nakambala Leopards, Konkola Blades, Lusaka Dynamos and Napsa Stars are in danger of dropping to the lower ranks.
Nakambala host Blades in Mazabuka, Napsa welcome Nkwazi in a derby and Dynamos face champions Zesco United.
National Assembly were already demoted to the first division weeks ago.
The 2015 season will go down in history as one of the toughest.
Zesco were admirably declared champions with three games remaining, showing the class they are in.
While the season has been one of the best in terms of standards which have won the local crowds back to the local stadiums, I am disappointed with the strikers for having been shy at goal.
This problem has persisted in recent years and there is need for concerted efforts to address it so that the country benefits.
The administrators, coaches and players need to find a solution to the goal drought which has seen Super Division top scorer Winston Kalengo of Zesco leading the tally with 17 goals.
In all competitions this year, Kalengo has scored 22 goals – four for the national team and one in Zesco’s 2-0 win over Kabwe Warriors in the Barclays Cup quarter-finals.
In the 2013 season, Ronald ‘Sate Sate’ Kampamba scored 18 goals to bag the topscorer award as Nkana lifted a record 12th Super Division title.
Zesco forward Jackson Mwanza netted 15 times in the 2014 season to earn the topscorer award. The Ndola side won the Super Division championship.
Fans go to stadiums and watch goals.
That is why I agree with the Mufulira Wanderers supporters’ latest theme of ‘It will tentad’, meaning the net will shake.
After all, that is why fans troop to the stadiums to get excited – have their adrenalin pumped up.
In 1972, Godfrey ‘Ucar’ Chitalu scored 107 goals as his club ‘Magnificent’ Kabwe Warriors went on to win the league title.
In the 1990s, Nkana greats Kenneth ‘Bubble’ Malitoli and Zeddy Saileti found the net 40 times apiece.
The 17 goals the strikers are banging in used to be for low-scoring defenders in the 1980s and the 1990s.
Where are the goals? This is the question Zambians want answered.
The Zambian league is not as strong as the Spanish one where Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo finds the net 60 times in a season.
Barcelona’s Lionel Messi scored 57 goals during the 2014/2015 campaign. Our players should take time from their busy schedule and watch how Ronaldo and Messi score.
The two players make football look easy.
It is through watching others play that our players, especially strikers, will sharpen their scoring prowess.
Ronaldo and Messi have found themselves making headlines week in and week out because of hard work.
The two players have won the world’s best player award seven times between them – four for Messi and three for Ronaldo.
I expect strikers to bang in more than 30 goals next year. They can do it with determination and hard work.

Posted by Editor on November 6, 2015. Filed under SPORTS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry