Saturday, April 20, 2024
Subscribe
HeadlinesSports

Ben Bamfuchile is dead

By editor
77
7,240 views

Share

Bamfuchile, 47, died in Kitwe last night after a long illness at 22:15 at Poly Clinic in Nkana West Township where he had been admitted for over a fortnight.

Bamfuchile is one of Zambia’s highly respected coaches having coached Zambia, Namibia, Power Dynamos and Nkana FC.

Bamfuchile had until the time of his death just resigned as head coach of Namibia national soccer team whom he had just guided to their second ever qualification to the Africa Cup finals since 1998.

The late Bamfuchile started his football career as a player at 11-time league champions Nkana in 1977 and was assistant-coach and player from the late 1980’s to 1993 when he took over fulltime at the time.

Later in his career, Bamfuchile oversaw the development at Power of midfielder Isaac Chansa, former Under-23 defender Steven Kunda and striker and Francis Kombe.

While Bamfuchile did not win the league with Power, he brought the team two Mosi cup titles in 2001 and 2003 and the Arthur Davies club was runners up in the same tournament in 2002.

Bamfuchile also won the BP Top 8 crown in 2001 including the clubs only ever Coca Cola Cup triumph in 2003.

His other coaching adventures after an initial turbulent two seasons at Nkana starting from 1993 when he took over from the late legendary trainer Moses Simwala saw him take up coaching stints in Swaziland and South Africa.

Bamfuchile was also assistant Zambia coach to the late Ian Porterfield at the 1994 Africa Cup finals in Tunisia where the team won silver after losing 2-1 to Nigeria in the finals.

He also won the Swaziland league and cup titles with 11-Men in 1996 and after a couple of season a period he describes as unforgettable.

Bamfuchile then briefly spent six months South Africa top-flight club Amazulu before returning home for his first of two spells at Power.

He also guided the Zambia Under-23 national team to a silver medal in the football tournament behind winners Cameroon at the 1999 ALL Africa Games held in South Africa.

Then the Zambia job became available in the run-up to the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations after the departure of German-born coach Bukhard Ziese.

With Zambia, Bamfuchile oversaw one of the squads most successfully qualifying run ever.
Zambia were undefeated in all their six Group Six qualifying games under Bamfuchile before it all came unstuck at 2000 Nigeria/Ghana Africa Cup 2000.

Zambia crushed out losing 2-0 to Egypt, finishing 1-1 with Burkina Faso after taking the early lead.

In their final match against Senegal, Kalusha Bwalya saved the sides blushes with a rebounding header from a late penalty to draw 2-2.

Bamfuchile leaves behind a wife Tina and six children.

His funeral is being held at his Nkana East home and burial arrangements will be announced later.

editor
editorhttp://www.lusakatimes.com

77 COMMENTS

  1. Ben, my prayer is for the good Lord to receive you in his Kingdom. Your soccer career CV is very rich. Its sad it does not grant you place in heaven. MYSRIP.

  3. You saved Zambia gallantly. May your soul rest in peace.You put mother zed on the world map. You will be sadly missed.

  6. people dying at 47 is indeed terrible,this animal called long illness seems to have run riot in zambia.with all our medicines and technology long illness is still winning??what hope do the rest of us have?

  7. You served Zambia gallantly. May your soul rest in peace.You put mother zed on the world map. You will be sadly missed.

  9. Sad day for soccer fraternity and zed at large. We will always remember you dearly contributing to soccer nationally and internationaly. Your place will be very difficult to fill/replace. You hold a special place in my heart. MYSRIP.

  10. Anonymous#1 and pundit#6 are real childish with your comments. You want to behave like an oasis of folly. Sad boys that when times for level headedness you simply choose to go your own way. Hope you boys mature soon coz age is fast catching up with you. GROW UP Boys!!!

  13. muntuza(10),your comments are unwarranted.somebody has to say some of the things people like you don’t have the guts to say.I personally knew Ben and i grieve for his family but the fact still remains our country is under attack from these long illnesses and i fear for the productive members of society who we seem to lose day in day out. you need some growing up to do to appreciate the message in my earlier contribution!

  14. Another galant Coach passes on, what a sad development for Zambian soccer. From his early days at Chamboli Youth – Pa MOGA to becoming an International Coach, Ben was a perfect example of how Commitment and Discipline pay. My sincere condolences to Ben’s wife and children and brother Amon Pabili. You served Chamboli well and we are proud of your work.

    MYSRIP

    1

  15. ba pundit (10) you grieve after been pushed to the curb by muntuza (9), and call yourself personally close to the deceased. I don’t think Ben and his family would appreciate your #6 comment. It may be right but certainly misplaced.

    MYSRIP Ben

  16. What did British judge Peter Smith say as he found former Zambian President Frederick Chiluba guilty of stealing $46m?

    A: That the scale of his theft was inversely proportional to his height.

    B: That the “FJT” monogrammed shirts and suits and specially made shoes with high heels were paid for with public money.

    C: That his trademark designer clothes were cheap knock-offs from China.

  17. #16 can u elaborate, I do not seem to understand your point. What has it to do with Ben´s death???? The fact is we shall all at one time die, nangu ta ule fwaya nungu ulefwaya. Even babies, unborn children die, you think nga washala po numba ninshi garant yaku kota yabapo. Anyone can die, look at the case of Pakistan, Bhutto is dead. Bane tule chindikako imfwa pantu bonse one day tukaya

  18. This sad to hear. Ben you were a hero some of us emulated you. MYSRIP and the lord shall recieve you. Sad really sad for Sport Family losing two pipo with a gap of two days. Oh lord say our nation from these early deaths. To family I say its time to be strong and remain faithful to the lord. He gives and takes away.

  22. #15,at no point did i feel pushed to the kerb by comrade Muntuza.the fact is we are losing too many good people way before time and it is killing football,politics,business etc!!i do not profess to know the cause of death but my immediate reaction is that of anger as we have lost a good coach,a good father and a good friend.Bhuttos death affects us little but when pipo like Ben are taken in their prime..it is time to reflect on our own lives!!

  23. #22 cont’d:i’m not spoiling for a fight or taking the high moral ground but merely stating facts as I see them.I could be wrong and I stand corrected but in all of this i refuse to bury my head in the sand!!

  24. Ben the hero of 1994 and a legend when it comes to Nkana and their heroics. After leaving his wife, it appears things went downhill for ba Ben.

    The lesson to the young ones to be learnt is that once stardom catches up, they is need to play ground balls and not tamanga like one player that messed up whilst in PSL league.

    I hear that Nkana players were known to be celebrating with Prostitutes after matches and a lot have since bade farewell, ba Simwala, Kapembwa and too many to mention

    2

  25. Please spare OLD ORIGINAL PUNDIT, he’s just being objective, period. Until we stop revering this’ long illness’ thing, we will finish. MHSRIP

  29. does anyone have a name for this so called long illness.does it go by the name of AIDS?MHSRIP.No matter what any of us say we such one day meet them.

  30. Chabipa mwebantu.

    Bushe nomba muno chalo tatwakakwateko ama legends??? There’s definitely something wrong somewhere in this country, twafwa sana. Lets look within ourselves and find the solution before we leave our land kuma shilu abashifwafwafwa

  31. #30 Mutino. The trend is that our mothers and fathers, who lead a clean life, are living to a ripe old age. Even as I write, by the grace of God, I have a lot of old folk in my family who are as fit as they ever were. At the same time I have lost a lot of younger relatives who clearly did not lead clean lives. In our culture, it is acceptable for men, young and old, to treat sex as a sport. God gave us brains that are distinct from dogs, but sadly we do not seem to use it in sub-saraha Africa.

  32. BEN,MAY YOUR SOUL REST IN PEACE.THE NATION HAS LOST A SON WHO WIL BE HARD TO REPLACE.WE THANK THE GOD LORD IN EVERYTHING AND WE THANK HIM FOR BEN.

    1

  33. Some comments definetly make sad reading. however may the grace of God be upon us. We miss you, Ben.

    1

  34. Rest in peace ba kalamba ba Ben? MHSRIP. my sincere condolences to his children. may the good lord grant them strength during this period of sorrow. Amen

    1

  35. Its indeed very sad, I personally met and talked to Ben two years ago at Pamodzi hotel, He seemed to have been a cool and collected man. I just noticed Kalusha bossed him to much. At one time in my presence Kalusha sent Ben to collect his bag in the presence of guests at a coctail party, Ben had to run fast and brought the bag within a few minutes. The question I asked myself was, Why couldnt Kalusha collect his own bag and Why should Ben accept such foolishness. Ben was mature and more wise .

    1

  40. Guys lets not personalize issues and i see some people are using this forum to Champion their causes.Let us focus on the positives the late Achieved. Rest in Peace Coach.

    1

  42. Ba Ben MYSRIP i personaly watched him in 2003 when he guided Power to the MOSI cup victory,Isaac Chansa and Francis Kombe would tell the story well,LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,LET US SHOW MATURITY FOR ONCE WHEN POSTING OUR COMMENTS,#1,6 AND 29 ARE COMPLETELY OUT OF LINE.

    1

  43. Ba Ben may your soul rest in peace…
    You brought us so much Joy as a player and later coach of Nkana football club.You were always the strong arm of Moses Simwala and later on proved yourself a fantastic coach…

    However let me say a few words on your life and the long illness. I first met current late Ben’s wife Tina Tapula in 1992 as one of my students in aircraft ground handling course at QZ. She was then married to a young man with two children they lived in Kabwata site and Service.

  44. Later on she was spotted in Nairobi in the company of Ben when Nkana went to play against AFC leopards.She later absconded from her marriage in Lusaka and relocated to Kitwe. Ben also commenced devorce proceedings in a wusakile local court against his long time wife. This incensed the local women in wusakili and Chamboli who threatened to deal with ben violently. That was the beggining of the end for Ben’s coaching career at Nkana the fans become hostile to him and he was hounded out of the Job.

  46. He later moved to Power Dynamoes. He after some time accepted Christ and become born again following encouragement from former fellow playaer Joshua Longwe. Ba Ben later become a church elder in Bishp Nwaka’s Church.A few years later Tina suffered a partial stroke which resulted in partial facial paralysis. In recent years the cople’s health was not the best. Finally Ben sunk into depression a few weeks ago after the loss of his coaching job in Namibia . Finally he succumbed.
    The moral is the

  47. The moral in all this is that most of our brilliant youg people are dying in their prime and if we do not learn and and avoid the scourge that takes their lives we will all finish.

    Ala uulosha tabamulolesha ku kanwa

  48. #1 and #13 Guys, imagine yourself being at the burial of this great man. Would you honestly make such insensitive comments about Ba Ben. The English phrase “never speak ill of the dead” exists in our culture too. Keep your insensitive comments to yourself. We are mourning a great man, and it hurts me profoundly to read comments from so-called friends that utterly disrespect the memory of the late gentleman. It seems it now takes guts to spit on a mans grave.Big Ben Bamfuchile MYSRIP.

    1

  49. #45 CK continue burying your head in the sand, and no lessons will be learnt AIDS IS real IF WE DO NOT CHANGE OUR BEHAVIOUR, IF WE DO NOT STICK TO OUR WIVES OR HUSBANDS we will be gone in afew years.

  50. There is too much hearsay here. Does anyone have facts of the long illness that has taken Ben? If not lets all just pay our last respect and move on behaving responsibly.

  51. Anyone who wants to out the source of Ben’s death must contact Dabid Chilufya in Ndola because because when Dabid was a player at Nkana Ba Ben used his house as a brothel in exchange for a place in the starting line-up.

    When Dabid complained to Nkana management, he was hounded out of Nkana and found himself at Kalulushi modern stars until Benjamin Bwalya took him to onkola Blades where his career was restored and he earned himself a place in the Chipolopolo team

  52. My condolences.
    May the Lord God receive our lovely coach. In peace shall ya soul rest.I pray that they that send funny comments upon somebody’s death learn to respect ichililo.
    Chaona munzako chapita m’mawa chili paiwe.

  53. #51 spare us the details. We have quite a number to deal with not your rotten shit man. Sorry about the language but we deserve more on LT than what you are giving us. GROW UP man!!!!

  54. Some of the comments are below the belt. It’s sad when people die in their prime and the HIV/AIDS scourge accounts for most of these deaths, to be honest. However to start posting comments that border on the personal and derogatory is beyond the pale.
    Ben was my neighbour in Nkana West. We also worked together at Power Dynamos and at both the U-23 and senior national teams. Whatever his failings in his previous life, the Ben I knew was a humble, hard working, ambitious God-fearing gentleman.

    1

  56. The few times that I have come in close contact with you,alot of words would come out of my mouth trying to describe you.
    Words like blessed,interlect,genius,well taught,high class and many more that describe a few people.
    M.Y.S.R.I.P and may the Lord touch your family.

  57. reading the posts made so far, it is obvious Ben was well liked and a normal person.One post referred to his humility, an enviable trait we must all try and emulate.It is a great loss, but this again is an opportunity to remind those of us blessed with life to look after ourselves.Ben had his faults as we all do, but that made him human.maybe we can learn from his mistakes and successes too!!

  58. to all those incensed by my comments i offer my apologies,but the fact still remains we ALL have to reflect on our habits and those of our loved ones.

  59. My condolences to Ben`s family and the soccer fraternity in Zed. We have lost one of the best in our nation of soccer. May he rest in peace. But may i give some advice to the guys writing rubbish about the deceased. That is not Zambian. When one dies mourn. Don`t start writing as if he was your enemy. Ben changed. He got born-again. God was his priority besides coaching. He gave his life to his creator and you want to write as if you will not die. You think those who die are stupid. Give respect

    1

  60. CON`T 59
    Give the dead respectthe way we do it in Mother Zed. Please don`t start shooting the dead. The dead have gone and next might be you. What are you going to say to your Creator? Are you ready for Him? Do you think you will live on earth forever? Are you so clever that when your time comes you will avoid it or run away. Start preparing yourself. Eternity is real & awaits you. Where will you spend it? Thank God for Ben. He is with the Lord. Choose now where you will spend it. God loves you

  61. CON`T 60
    May his soul rest in peace. We will never forget the MOGA days and your rising to influence in the soccer fraternity where Zed views it as a religion. You are a star to shine even after your demise. Enjoy your eternity in the presence of the Almighty. You made Chamboli-Kitwe proud with your success. You are remembered for the best in Zed and Namibia. You were indeed God sent to bring change in many lives you touched near or distant.We will miss you. Love, Watson.

  62. #59-61 Great inspirational comments. Ben was touched by the great revival in Kitwe and Zambia and the Lord canceled his past despite succumbing to the effects of that past (a lesson for all of us). Wusakile/Chamboli, Kitwe and Africa will all remember your impact on others. To God be the glory, we shall miss you.

  63. There is no doubt that we shall all die but do not use this fact as threat to those who have different views from yours. And who told you that all the people writing here are Zambians.

    Zambia has lost a lot of quality people through HIV/AIDS but all we say is that you can not criticise the dead. Yes you can not criticise the dead because they wont have a chance to change but the life styles of the dead shoud be used to teach the living so as to make them change.

  64. 63 continued
    The holier than thou attitude has contributed to the demise of so many of our compatriots and its time to face the truth in our efforts to bring about change in the lives of our beloved fellow human beings.We shall all die but that should not make us blind to what is obtaining in the world today regarding the life styles of many a celebrity.From what somde paople are writing one can safely conclude that its alright not to live a clean life after all every shall die. Nonsense

  65. This chap Muntuza. Muntuza Who? DO NOT PLAY PREFECT HERE. THIS IS NO PLACE TO POLICE PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT THEY DECIDE TO WRITE.
    BUZZ OFF. IF YOU CONTINUE POLICING PEOPLE’S COMMENTS, YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED.

    YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS CONTROLLING WHAT VIEWS WE POST. WHO ARE YOU TO CHANGE OUR VIEWS CHAP AND MIND YOUR LANGUAGE THIS AINT YOUR BEDROOM. STICK TO WHAT YOU KNOW AND YOUR LIFE WILL BE ENJOYABLE. DO NOT LEAD US INTO TEMPTATION. MAY PEACE PREVAIL

  66. As the head coach of CivicsFc Namibia I hope that you can rest in peace Ben. I feel sorry for your family that they lost their husband, father and son.

  68. he did a very tremendous job to namibian football, he brought back the glorious days to namibian football.

    May Big Ben’s Bamfuchile’s entire soul rest in peace!!!!

    1

  70. All those talking about ben former bad habits, its not nececessary, infact its worthless and who makes you a judge anyway. Ben was a Christian and it doesnt matter how one begin their life but how they end it. HIV/AIDS is not a judgement issue. There are so many people with HIV who will go to heaven. You may have a different weakness, sin is sin, so dont think you are clever.And if you want to teach people about HIV, please use other platforms. Think for a minute how much these bad comments hurt

  71. cont’
    his children, and how they will think about their mother(tINA). Think about the negative impact that will leave on the family. We all have past and pasts should not continue to haunt us. So stop the bullshit!, find other platforms to educate people on HIV. If the ALMIGHTY GOD dont refer to our past sins when we repent, who are you to do so. Think about the children as you comment. Dont be stupid!

  73. WHEN ONE IS ALIVE THERE SO MANY CRITICS ABOUT WHAT ONE IS DOING BUT IN DEATH PIPO GLORIFY HIM/HER. DOES IT MEAN PIPO ARE HAPPY (OR just pretendering they love the death person more in death than when he was alive) THE PERSON IS DEAD OR ITS JUST A BAD HABIT OF GLORIFYING DEATH PIPO. (Eventhough one was plunder, murder, THIEF, womaniser,prostitute etc).THE TRUTH INDEED PAINS. PLZ LETS CALL A SPADE A SPADE NOT A FOLK MY DEAR BROTHERS & SISTERS.

  74. Ba Ben,

    You were the best. People can say the worst about you, but you were simply the best. You died a child of God. All your sins were washed away. To all those who are writing ill of Ben – Do you have tickets to heaven where Ben is? Ben gave his life to Jesus, have you? Yes, he may have died of a long illness, but do we know what it was? Stop condeming him and instead give this man of God credit because he deserves it. You did us Zambians proud. Sleep well child of God.

    1

  75. There goes another unsung hero, what great achievements you scored ben! coached Nkana, Power dynamos, Zambia and Namibia you have made landmark developments rest in peace our hero

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Company

Trending

Categories

© Lusaka Times

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading