Friday, March 29, 2024

Best of the Rest

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Here are LT’s picks from the last 10 years in football

Team of the Decade:

Zesco United: While Zanaco won half of the league titles this decade, it was Zesco promoted in 2004 who showed us what success courtesy of an electricity bill can bring in five years with as many coaches.

Zesco won two top-flight crowns in 2007 and 2008 and became the first Zambian club to play in the lucrative group stage of Caf club competition last season.
They have also won five cup honors from 2005 to 2008.

Striker of The Decade:

Jean Lomani (Power Dynamos): He was never very pretty to watch but from 2000 to 2003, The Rwanda striker averaged 15 goals a season for Power Dynamos, something no other forward has managed with any consistency since then.

Player of the Decade:

Collins Mbesuma: Love him or hate him, Collins Mbesuma made scoring look very easy but his weight problems and injuries have constantly dogged this gifted finisher.

It is hard to believe that he has gone through five clubs since inspiring Roan to top-flight promotion in 2003.

Goalkeeper of the Decade:

Kennedy Mweene is peerless although nowhere near the iconic Chabala.

Defender of the Decade:

Elijah Tana (Nchanga Rangers): For eight years he was every ex-Zambia coach’s preferred and trusted fullback until Herve Renard sent him into forced retirement. We will miss him.

Midfielder of the Decade:

A Tie, Felix Katongo and Rainford Kalaba.

It could have gone to Gift Kampamba had he shown more consistency.

Coach of The Decade:

Wedson Nyirenda: Won three successive league titles with two different clubs two with Zesco with his latest coming at the helm of Zanaco.

MEANWHILE:

The Most Forgettable Farewell:

Kalusha Bwalya: His penalty miss against Angola in the 2004 Cosafa Cup. A swansong moment he probably not want to include in his memoirs.

Wasted talent:

Clement “Sata” Mulenga: Patrick Phiri’s protégé took off and crashed like a rickety Zeppelin. He can barely make the starting lineup at Nkana today.

Longest Celebration:

Kitwe United’s 2004 BP Top 8 win ended a 33-year wait for cup glory incidentally in the same competition.

“Chingalika” staged a noisy victory parade through Kitwe a week after returning home with the trophy.

Quote of the Decade:

Ben Bamfuchile: “I didn’t want to disturb the rhythm of the game.”

The late Zambia coach’s famous line after Zambia’s 2-0 loss to Egypt at the 2000 Africa Cup.

10 COMMENTS

  1. I agree with the choices you have made. I regret that there’s no mention of my team Nkana fc. However, i’m comforted by the fact that if you werde to come up with the best of the rest at the start of 2000 it would have been mentioned somewhere. Great effort LT.

  2. Ok good list but am also not impressed that you did not include Nkana somewhere. They equally deserve an award. The last decade saw the plummeting of soccer attendance at stadiums but Nkana used to fill stadiums at all the places they went and even some premier league sides were sad when they got demoted, so surely you should have given us at least an award like the most bankable club in Zambia or at least the largest crowd puller. All big soccer attendants in the last decade involved Nkana. So, LT please update your list

  3. #3 spot on. Who do these guys take us for? Last year we witnessed the largest crowd at Nkoloma when Supersport televised a division one match involving Nkana and Mighty. Then somebody somewhere somehow finds it very appropriate not to reserve space for Nkana on their list. What hypocrisy!

  4. he he he Nkana? am sure my brothers are thinking of the 80s and 90s….in the 00s Nkana has been a sorry sight……Nkana supporters dont roast me please!

  5. Lady we are not talking about winning matches or that. We are talking about crowd pulling here, please stick to kitchen issues if you don’t want to get roasted. Leave football to your us

  6. Nkana ni Nkana, whether in premier division or in division one. Thats why Renard has been doing badly, its because of not including a Nkana player in the National Team.Zesco cant boast of their supremacy without being thankful to Nkana from where they got some players.

  7. # 5 Dont make me become political, which game wud you watch ZESCO Vs ZANACO or NKANA Vs MIGHTY. Can surely deserves to be recognised they still comand a large following meaning they are still great!

  8. let’s not beat around the bush we all know that Nkana & Mighty are the true legends of our league unless you were not there?

  9. # 8 great or not Nkana and Mighty have not been performing well in the last 10years, i agree that they use to be good teams but they are not any more.. ZESCO is the team doing it now

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