Kalusha Bwalya has backed Coach Dario Bonetti for dropping the Katongo brother’s ahead of the teams 2012 Africa Cup of Nations Group C qualifier against Libya away in Tripoli on Sunday.
Kalusha said at Football House on Friday evening that Bonetti has the full blessings of Faz over his actions to drop long-serving captain Christopher Katongo of Greek side Xanthi and his young brother Felix Katongo of Al Ititthad in Libya.
“I think that it is the decision of the coach,” Kalusha said. “I think that the players are conscious and that they have to be to be there and show commitment. They have to show the hunger for the team and one, two days late, you know for the coach, he feels everyone has to be there.”
The Katongo brothers both failed to join the team in time after traveling back home to Zambia earlier this week from their respective bases.
Both players were due to travel from Lusaka to Tripoli on Thursday together with defender Emmanuel Mbola of TP Mazambe of DR Congo.
Meanwhile, Mbola escaped being dropped after he too failed to join the team in Rome on Wednesday where they were camped for three days en route to Libya after the Italian embassy in Lusaka denied the 17-year-old a visa.
The TP Mazembe teenager could not successfully file of a visa without parental consent because he was a minor.
Zambia lead Group C on four points after beating bottom placed Comoros Islands 4-0 on September 5 in Lusaka.
Their hosts Libya are second after a scoreless away draw against Mozambique on the same date in Maputo.
Discipline is cardinal.Just crack the whip Kalu.
echo tulushila, lack of mental seriousness, give them catanatial discipline, you will see:-?:-?:-?:-?
We lack seriousness and man management skills in FAZ.
The national team manager should be in constant communication of all Zambian players, based home and abroad, all the time as this should be part of his duty. Otherwise, the manager should leave the job to someone else if he has failed to perform. Is it still Solly Pandor? If it is, then he has over-stayed and has become complacent and stopped performing.
We cannot condone indiscipline but these are young men who need to be nutured and trained to grow and mature into responsible adults.
Looking back into history, Kalu never used to arrive on time and at times only met the team at the final destination hence surviving the Gabon disaster. So the FAZ president should be more sympathetic to these young men.
People!!! It was first reported that Felix has personal issues and that he will join the team in Libya,later on, the Katongo brothers are in Zambia and will go with Mbola to Libya.Who has issues? Is it Chris,Felix
or its something-else? Ama politics yamu FAZ yeyingila muchibansa ka!!!
No player/s is/are bigger than the team. If they think they are indespensable crack the whip and show that the team is greater. Even Sir Feg will agree with that . Rooney was recently dropped against Everton.
Is RB going to fly to talk to the Katongo’s and tell them to be committed?
@3 somehow you have managed to drag Kalu in the misdeeds of Chris and Felix. These two are not “young men who need to be natured” as you wrongly put it. If at 28 ba Chris needs to be natured when will they mature at 40? Naturing football maturity is at under 17 – 20 not senior national teams.
You have a serious pull him down syndrome. Kalu has done well to side with the coach. It shows that he has left to make decisions on the team. I say so because Kalu likes Chris very much.
Bushe ni boneti ya motoko?
They are a foolish trio…ow do they let mother Zamiba down just like that. Maybe they think they are indispensable!!!!!
@#3..Shame on you..Infact its you who lack management skills..The coach took dat decision 4team spirit. Hes new to Zambian football and Zed players need 2 start understanding his game..Cracking the whip is the best way of instilling discipline. Like #7 told u..stop the PHD n go back 2 Zambia if u have nothing 2offer. Kalu merely agreed with coach and in Managment, this is a very healthy move by ba Kalu..Eyes on the Ball
Chapwa twalusa. Droping two key prayers who had reasons for delays.I thought football is also employment and players have to be given verbal and warining letters and that eliminating them from the list should is tantamount to suspension?
Have they been warned of such behaviour before? if this is the first time, I thought they should have been pardoned, nangu bababikafye pa bench please!!! anyway i am ignorant about football management, some one to help me understand this please!
@11 he has dropped them for this game not banned them for life. This is a fitting move by the coach going by the discipline record of our footballers. Don’t just yawn for the sake of it, or is it talking?
I think Bonneti knows very well that he can do without them. Chris is slowly becoming a spent force. With Fwayo, Mayuka, Jacob, Chamanga and 9 goal hero Sakuwaha in attack, the Katongo brothers won’t be missed. Chris as a captain needs to lead by example. What problems did they have other meeting up with girlfriends?
I also back the decision the coach took.Commitment is the key.
:o Whatevr you all say Felix is one of the best players Zambia has at the moment and dropping him wont be good enough .There other ways to deal with disciplinary issues. take for example Romario when he was at barca ( the coach would always wave his discipline to a charge on earnings ) its like being late for work you dont get sent back home .So if we lose who will we blame Bonnetti,katongos,kalu or the curreent happening in FAZ !!!
# 7… Good contribution… I still wonder why Felix travelled to Zambia instead of Italy or stay in Libya in readiness for the 10.10 encounter. Kalu did well by going straight to where the team were camped or where the competition was taking place, Faz saved money on short flights he made during his hey days.
.. Final, could not be wise for him to critise the coach on his (coach) decision to exclude late commers. Avoiding interfering in the coach.s decision which could be used as a weapon to fire him out as at this moment some people are after his blood. P.Simwanza inclusive ..
Well they say you can fool some people some times but not all the people all the time. (Unknown) Here is what disappoints me on how people don’t look at the stories about these players. The officails are never consistant with there stories. You would expect after years of managing football they would have known about a lot of requirements. Look at the story of Mbola. From all those international travels they have done, they would have known about the visa requirements. Not only that, how many times have there been problems with players getting visas to certain countries. I have done a bit of travelling myself and I know by now that you cant put in your application just hours before you fly. Surely their poor planing should not inconvience others. Remember your emergancy is not very body
else’s. Don’t leave things for the last minute. Kalu should know this. Thats why the stories don’t hold any water at all.
Why blame the players. You have not heard the story from the players. Reporters should have interviewed them to get the true picture. We are quick to condem.
The players could have very good reasons for being late. The Katongo brothers have done very well in the past. We should not judge them on unfounded grounds.
#19. Well said. There is a reason these players have not reported. Some here r quick to praise Kalu just wait,,,,,, one of these players will claim no air ticket sent, I was not reimbursed last time etc. Muletekanya !!
Chris napwa kukosafye akosa. Ifibaiche fingi ifinga teya. Next time dont call them
Results will tell if it was a good ideal.Rules are always bent for the sake of national glory.No need to instill discipline unprecedentely at the expence of a place at the finals.Whats the boys pst record?did they escapate themselves?Kalusha himself used to come and play straight from the airport in the middle of winter here and opposit wheather in Africa un acclimatise what has changed?
This is his brother-in-law he is supporting!