FAZ has alleged that TP Mazembe has blocked Rainford Kalaba, Stopilla Sunzu and Nathan Sinkala from the Brazil friendly.
The trio is believed to be either injured or unwell following their recent return from CAF Confederation Cup duty in Bamako where Mazembe beat hosts Stade Malien 2-1 in a semifinal, first leg on Sunday.
“We are in contact with our players and are aware of the machinations by Mazembe officials, who include a named Zambian football official, aimed at frustrating the players,” Mwanza stated.
“We are aware too that TP Mazembe officials are deliberately holding onto our players’ passports and refusing to release them for national duty in line with the rules and regulations that govern release of players for their national team duty.
“Despite these false claims, we are going ahead to have Kalaba, Sunzu, Sinkala and Hichani Himonde report for duty and if they are in anyway unable to play, our own medical staff will have to determine that.”
Meanwhile, six home-based players of the 26-member team fly out from Lusaka to China on Wednesday ahead of the October 15 friendly t be played in Beijing.
This foolishness must come to an end. Faz should not let Mazembe get away with this nonsense. We need all our players for that important friendly. What kind of rubbish is Mazembe trying to exhibit?
No any other big footballing country will take Zambia seriously to play a friendly match if we do not field a stronger Zambian team against Brazil… Come on FAZ, get those guys… it doesn’t get bigger than this… Brazil has all their best players coming… Those three players are the cream of the Zambia team. We need them
Its not FAZ, it is Team Manager’s problem… Such things were unhead of during Solly Pandor.
It’s not FAZ problem ! It is TP Mazembe problem !
Come on FAZ, be serious. If a team like Barcelona can release players like Neymar, Alves, who can understand that TP Mazember have refused to release the Zambian players. You should have prepared long enough and get the players ready for this game. If you fail to get those players for Brazil friendly, no Zambian will forgive you. Take this as a warning to the entire FAZ committee.
Why holding their passports… are they (players) criminals who have no freedom of movement or travel restrictions imposed by the courts???
I think these people in Faz are not just serious with the way they organise
Their players. Now it’s a habit that these clubs are getting hold to our
Guys, Something is wrong within faz.
This boy Eric Mwanza is too immature to be holding such a position, get proper savvy reps to be spokesmen; these characters know nothing about international relations how does such language help his future relations with TP Mazembe.
JAY JAY, POINT OF CORRECTION : Its not Eric Mwanza to o secure the the release of the players its FAZ through the Secretary General, President or Vice President, Eric is just a communication Manager mandated to communicate to the public the position of FAZ
Holding of an employee’s passport is illegal in any civilized country…..
I guess Kalusha will be in China ….. Two Bechay !!
Atase! The whole world is interested in watching chipolopolo boys against sambas! Plz we don’t what to hear nosense. FAZ be serious!
I think TPM should release the Zambian guys and get other good players from West Africa. Let Sinkala, Himonde, Kalaba and Sunzu go to Sochaux in France. Zambians are troublesome and capricious. They believe every everything their journalists write in the newspapers, they have a serious superiority complex, they quarrel for no reason and easily insult in all the discussion on the Internet.
Bakamba, bafilwe bamonekela abaiche aka nika big game zoona bamwine. Ati shani ba TP Mazembe? Bola nipanshi. Mu easy fye, natuwiner kale apa. Brazil tesana, alipwa.
Viva Zambia VIVA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Soccer wise, all countries balitwingilila as if they own us. FAZ and all Zambians… let us stand up and be counted on this issue. Am not surprised because T. P. Mazembe cannot manage to have a full team of their nationals who are busy ” kabokeing ”
Just as Real de Madrid….they need players from other contry. Common sense!!! Please.
BA KALU and his team should now leave they have outlived their usefulness,let Chitembeya and his team i.e Alex mambwe,mtine take over.
Malaria shouldnt be an excuse, let FAZ doctor and one officail travel to Congo to assess these players before its too late. Otherwise na Morale ine yapwa. Malaria kwisa? Awe bane fyabufi. Kalaba even scored in their game but balechinga abaice ukwisa kumwabo?? BBana BBa Congo!!!
Tout Puissant Mazembe should release our players immediately. Ifimano ububi ifi ma congole.
Please, we need to be serious with this issue. We can not be facing Brazil without the Sunzu, Nathan and Kalaba….Please Kalusha can you talk to Ka Katumbi….he is becoming stupt. This is a game we need all our credible players to feature. We are playing Malawi for God`s sake….
We NOT playing Malawi for God`s sake……
TPM should release the Zambian guys , facing Brazil without Sunzu, Nathan and Kalaba…we are nothing. Please Kalu And yo team prove yourself to Zambian soccer fans get the guys
Here we go again; FAZ needs a contingency plan in case these players fail to show up. FAZ also needs to report the issue to FIFA so TP Mazembe are sanctioned. If we send a rag tag team to China, they will be slaughtered.
Let them play on saturday in the super cup and then fly to China imediately after the game.This is clearly a country vs club conflict.The Congolese too are at faulty because if we had beaten Ghana we would have been playing Egypt this weekend in a world cup qualifier ! Kalu should solve this amicably.GOD BLESS ZAMBIA.
Doz wu are stu.pid are CAF and the clubs participatin in CAF games the other 4 continents knows its international games but dats where CAF puts their games very primitive dis stu.pid Issa Hayatou and the minnion Kalu. CAF shud b profesional World cup qualifiers but u play cup games.