Mwamba Wa Lusaka, as the Tanzanians fondly […]

Mwamba Wa Lusaka, as the Tanzanians fondly call him, Clatous Chama has been a ruthless striker for Simba SC, scoring for fun and scoring for the Puskás Award.

Courtesy of a cracking acrobatic goal scored against Young Africans SC, Chama has been tipped to vie for the prestigious Puskás Award, one that recognizes the most spectacular goal of the year named after Hungarian striker Ferenc Puskás. Ironically, Chama has failed to replicate his performance for the Chipolopolo, a status quo that has raised serious debates in the football circles, with some fans calling for his banishment from the team; perhaps that’s why he has not featured in recent times in George Lwandamina’s elite.

However, after impressing recently, some fans have backtracked and urged for his return, but the question is what makes it hard for such a prolific striker to dwindle on national duty?

 Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times, football analyst Richman Mpembamoto observed that the team is usually given limited time in most matches, which eventually affects his performance.

 “He has not been given the chance to prove himself; club level, there is so much confidence, similar to what he was doing at Yanga. We are looking forward to a time when the current coach, George Chicken Lwandamina, will select especially for the qualifiers.”

“I believe that once he is given an opportunity, he will prove himself. You can keep giving a player 15 minutes and expect impact; this is about impact, and it is difficult to express himself.”

Mpembamoto said there is a need for Lwandamina to fully involve the player, especially during the upcoming 2027 qualifiers for Group I, where the team is slated to face Burundi, Algeria, and Togo.

When asked about the chances of Chama claiming the prestigious Puskás Award, Mpembamoto said that it is too early to tell, because he will be competing against several other brilliant goals across the world.

 However, Chama adds to the list of players who have dunked for the national team but resurrected for club duty, the likes of Fashion Sakala and Lameck Banda.

Article by Sam Mutale