Why do Zambian footballers fail to impress at foreign clubs?

Football Analyst Moses Mpundu has observed with […]

Football Analyst Moses Mpundu has observed with concern how some Zambian footballers fail to impress when they switch to an international club.

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times, Mpundu charged that most of the players securing international deals are not technically ready; as a result, they end up flopping and coming home.

“The competitiveness among them is not adequate, and that in itself is a challenge, and most of the players are not ripe for the international market. If players are struggling to even trap the ball, how are they even going to meet up a league that has high demands?” 

  He emphasized that most of the Zambian players miss the main drills and conditioning of the academy, and the impact is evident. Mpundu added that most of the players, including young ones, are in a hurry to just pass through the league and sign for an international club.

 “We notice that now it’s about performance for results rather than attributes; they are in a hurry to just pass and go to another country. Players need to be exposed to all layers of football; there should be a strong link between the amateur and professional leagues.”

 However, he added that there are certain teams that are doing exceptionally well in producing quality players up to standard. There are Zambian players that have ticked at the international level consistently, like Given Singuluma and Rainford, and many other Zambians who have featured close to 10 years, a feat that only a few players manage.

“For 10 years, Rainford Kalaba was captain for TP Mazembe; at least now we have seen teams trying to revamp that system, and we hope that with the money that has been pumped in, we witness some radical change.”

Article by Samuel Mutale