Footballer Clifford Mulenga says he is happy that he has now changed his citizenship.
In a tweet, a Zambian playing in South Africa for SuperSport United said finally he can play for Bafana Bafana.
Mulenga said he hopes South African Coach Gordon Igesund will call him up for the forthcoming World Cup qualifier against Botswana.
On Friday, Mulenga was granted his South African citizenship making it possible for SuperSport United to register him as a non-foreign player.
While the 26-year-old is yet to receive the physical ID from the Home Affairs Department, Mulenga was given an ID number and has since been registered by SuperSport United.
The Zambian has yet to play for SuperSport this season due to his wait for citizenship in South Africa, with the club looking to register him as a non-foreigner rather than use up a spot in their foreign quota.
Mulenga joined SuperSport in 2012 from Bloemfontein Celtic, however is yet to make his mark at the club, something he will be hoping to do under Johnson’s tutelage.
Happy for him the zed DIDNT want him why not
yeh, am also happy for him
am confused was it not said he got a permante resident not Change of his nationality?
Well good luck, but be warn you will face the real Apartheid of South Africa try harder or die trying…he has no idea how South Africans are really…Good look bro
change of citizenship or permanent residence, i logically do not see mulenga play for bafana bafana.. he already featured for zambia at senior level.. go check the FIFA rules!!
wish him well and hope he can realise his dream of playing for Bafana bafana but how is that possible when he is not able to command a regular place at his club?
SO YOU WANT TO WIN SYMPATHY,FORGET IT.IF YOU WERE 18,THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT BUT NOT 26.
Cannot play for Bafana. He already played for the Zambian senior team. Just a dream. Just do well with the club.
right and thats what FIFA rules say
He obviously doesn’t realise what the rules say about representing a country. In effect he has just retired himself from international football.
l didn’t know he was that dull, how does he hope to play for bafana bafana with those tight FIFA rules?
He does not know what he is talking about. Typical of an ignorant footballer from the bundus. He is excited that he is now a SA citizen but he will realise his folly a few years down the line.
l can never change my citizenship from Zambian to anything else. Look how many have become American or British but still envy our poverty! Even with the confusion l am proudly Zambian!
Iam sure you still have got it wrong ba Lusaka Times. I also have a South African ID but that doesnt mean Iam a citizen. Citizenship in South Africa is awarded after you stay in the country for ten years.
You can be given citizenship in exceptional circumstances (i.e. less than ten years) if it is proved you have a unique skill that the nation will benefit from. The Beast Mtawarirwa (a Zimbabwean born rugby player) was given this kind of citizenship after SARU approached Home affairs for such an exceptional awarding. I havent heard SAFA looking for this for Mulenga.
And Unless Mulenga has Messi’s talent, I doubt if SAFA would support such a move knowing the intricacies FIFA has for those wanting to ‘poach’ a player who has already played for another national team
I stand to be corrected but I thought it was 5 years from the time you got your exemption certificate. The only thing that changes on your permanent residence identity number is the third from last digit from 1 to 0.
Jay Kay it is after five years of being a permanent resident holder.
Remember to obtain the Permanent residence you have to stay in Sausa for five years. So five more years of holding residence make it 10.
Maybe this explains why hr left him out. Patriotism for Zambia has been missing!
LT its a bit late to publish this as he tweeted this the same time as this news was announced and it has already been clarified that he can’t play for another national team.
Foolish me foolish you lelo naziletelela, ummmmmn iye foolish me
Quite a lot of Sports personalities in Africa that aren’t appreciated by their own nations switch citizens these days. A lot of Kenyans middle and long distance runners have renounced their citizenships in preference for Qatar which make them instant millionaires, on one condition, that they bring gold and silver to the glory of their adopted nation.
Sorry Mulenga you cant play for Africa you have already played for the S-National team already
Good Riddance! What a clown. He can’t play for Bafana. Id10t!
Yes Good Riddance! What a clown. He can’t play for Bafana. Id10t!
Lol
Good for him. Playing for Chipolopolo is a lot more exciting though. But, we can’t blame him. He was not given a chance even after he apologised for whatever happened at the AFCON 2012.
Well I love you so much dear zed! Whether in happiness or in sorrow I will never leave you! Home is home!
Don’t be dull Cliff, Bafana can never feature you. Now you just expose you lack of patriotism. You are just another Charles Musonda.
There will always be Zambia after you
But why bring Charles Musonda into this?
Ba Umwina Zed.
Charles Musonda was one of the best there was. Give respect and gratitude for the services the man rendered, insulting him is not fair. He has done a lot more for Zambia than you and your entire family put together, Silly! Ati shani ba Nubian Princess, you are there?
Solola Bye!
Solola bye try reading before posting. Umwina zed did nt insult Musonda
If that was his dream to play for Bafana Bafana then he has just screwed himself because under FIFA laws he cannot play for another national team after playing for a different one. He would however been able to play for SA if he got his citizen before he was 18 years and had not played for Zambia. Hard lack Mulenga, we will miss you in Zambia though!
No he could have played for South Africa if he had not featured for the senior Zambia National team. The junior teams up to U-21 are exempt from the ruling.
what happened with prince boateng didnt he play for German then switch to Ghana let the boy feature for bafana bafana and he will shine for sure
MY SUGGESTION IS LET HIM CHANGE HIS NAME TOO….HOW ABOUT CLIFFORD SITIMELA OR CLIFFORD ZULU.OTHERWISE THE NAME MULENGA WILL ALWAYS BRING HIM HOME IN ZAMBIA
Good observation, I think people should be encouraged to change their names once they change their nationality and citizenship!
anyway,… no comment!!
Acquiring citizenship in another country does not improve your IQ or qualifications or skills or knowledge. It only opens the doors but you will still need a carrot to dangle. Ask Zedians who are now Americans or UKians or canadians. They even hide their transition. ocket power and brain power is a different route. Good try boss.
the boy has talent let him be hope he will do better in bafana shirt wish you better my boy go do it for bafana chipolopolo dont appreciate wish you good health my bro
no hate feelings for you my bro good move south Africa Zambia Zimbabwe Malawi Mozambique Botswana Namibia its just one country i cant see the borders we are one nation
He does not command regular place at his lub, only that it was cheap to sign since he is no longer considered to be a foreigner.
I appreciate your comment. The guy has his liberty to choose his nationality and also to dream in whichever direction he wishes. Best we can do is wish his well and good health. Clifford, Lesa akupale mune.
Funny how most of the bloggers on here have adopted foreign citizenships quietly and yet have the audacity to point fingers at clifford. He is a person just like you. His coach wont let him play and FAZ have supported the coach’s position. He doesnt have forever to play football. He wants to play for a country and as he is now a South African he has taken that option. Its is right to do so. So all you hypocrites can kiss his hairy soccer bags! Get a job!
Makishi, you say Zambian coach wont let him play, HR wont be a Zambian coach for ever with the way things are going i dont see him last another year. My only hope is that Clifford did not make this decision out of frustration, coz he will live to regret more so if he is not eligible to play for S.A.
He got permanent residence ,NOT Citizenship understand the difference people ,why being so dull on immigrations issues? I bet LT reporters are misleading people.
Lusaka Times is not to blame here. Mulenga is the one who has told the whole world that he is now a South African citizen. If it is the question of misinformation the Mulenga is the culprit not Lusaka Times.
Lt misinforming the nation
Leave the boy alone. Chikal.a Renard wouldn’t let him play international soccer and if he can get that experience as a S/African, then so be it.
Imwe,am also a Zambian living in South Africa with an ID called Non South African citizen.It’s a Green ID which comes with Permanent Residence in your Passport.Meaning u can do whatever a South African Does but u can’t Vote till you full South African Citizen.Kalusha Bwalya<Ponga liwewe and many have that Non South African Citizenship in South Africa which Mulenga was given.Muleke ubuufi
May be Mulenga is ignorant as a result he has misinformed people on tweeter. Do not blame bloggers, instead blame the main source of the information – Mulenga himself.
I FEEL SORRY FOR THIS BOY BECAUSE HE HAS NO IDEA OF WHAT HE HAS DONE. I GOT MY SOUTH AFRICAN CITIZEN IN 2000 AND DESPITE BEING A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER I HAVE NEVER BEEN ACCEPTED AS A SOUTH AFRICAN. EVERYTIME THERE HAS BEEN A PROMOTION OPPORTUNITY IAM SIDELINED ON THE EXCUSE THAT ALTHOUGH IAM SOUTH AFRICAN, IAM ORIGINALLY ZAMBIAN AND BELIEVE ME I HAVE DONE A LOT FOR THESE SOUTH AFRICANS, HAVING BEEN ONE OF THE FEW BLACKS TO ENTER INTO THE WHITE DOMINATED PROFESSION WAY BACK IN 1993. WE PAVED THE WAY FOR THEM AND IN THE PROCESS TOOK A LOT OF FLACK FROM WHITES ON THEIR BEHALF. AM NOW IN THE PROCESS OF REVERSING MY CITIZENSHIP AND RECLAIM MY BELOVED ZAMBIAN CITIZENSHIP. GOOD LUCK MULENGA……I CAN HEAR THEM SCREAMING.. SUBSTITUTE THAT STUPID ZAMBIAN BECAUSE THAT WHAT THEY ARE
This is very good advice to those who want to renounce their Zambian citizenship anywhere in the world. Think long and hard before taking up the citizenship of another country.
I love Zambia and I will never be so stupid to dennounce my Zambian citizenship whether in hunger.
Copy that…Roger!
Solola Bye!
Bring dual citizenship. That is what the rest of the world is doing. Kenyans have it too and they still invest their money back home. Let us be strategic in the way we think. Eight out 0f ten Zambians working abroad are more likely to invest their money back to their country of origin than their second country.
I can invest in any country without being a citizen. Chinese, Americans, Canadians, etc are investing in Zambia without claiming citizenship. Your lame excuse for not investing in Zambia is pathetic. Maybe you are broke and cannot make it wherever you are and you long for Zambia. Just reclaim and stop all this dual citizenship excuse. Don’t get me wrong, dual citizenship is alright but it is your reason for it that is flawed.
good move
Soccer players are dull. What he has is perm resident. He is still Non-RSA citizen going by the infor he has given out. He probably needs another 5 yrs to qualify to apply for RSA citizenship. By which time he will in the 30s… He may still play for bafana bafana coz they dont have strikers,… In zambia he will be useless by then…
ubututu he does not even know how to play like king Kalu, ba Modo or my baby. I swear i can not watch him,i would rather watch Ester Phiri playing football.
leave him alone you morons,,,all those condemning Mulenga got no brains..the boy made himself available to feature for zambia at will but this ***** you call Renard gave a blind eye..Same applies to Ronald kampamba aka sate-sate zambians have been crying for for the young man to be included in the national team to partner Festus mbewe…but uyu ***** tonfwa if we lose in ghana make sure you don’t show your yellow ass here because tukaputulako ikandi..
Someone asked Clifford if he can’t play for Bafana Bafana and he answered “No. Am a Zambia national.” This is on his official twitter page.
So all you morons and muppets insulting the lad, get off his case and chill.
Afternoon everyone. Hope you are all
well. I just won’t to clarify my issue
regarding me having changed my
nationality to South African. I have not
changed my nationality and i never
applied for South African citizenship. I applied for permanent residence. This
was done because i have been here for
over 5 years. This also enables me to
play as a local player thus opening up
space for my club to sign another
foreign player. I don’t qualify to play for South Africa and i have never wished to
play for South Africa. Am proudly
Zambian. I will always be a Zambian.
The fact that the club was not willing to register him as a foreign player in order to reserve slot for another foreign player tells you how they rate Clifford! !!