The Department of immigration has withdrawn Stopilla Sunzu, Rainford Kalaba and Nathan Sinkala’s passports.
The trio were interviewed on Friday at the Immigration Departments’ Copperbelt regional office in Ndola where warn and caution statements were issued and the players released.
The players’ lawyer Freddie Chalenga said he believed there will be an amicable conclusion to the issue by next week.
“What was agreed was the immigration department wants to see them back on Monday at 08h00,” Chalenga said.
“In the mean time they have detained their passports.
“Of course they (the players) are sad and they wanted to be with their fellow players in Congo and join with them in spirit and play in the Caf Confederation Cup.”
Kalaba, Sunzu and Sinkala are accused of secretly leaving Zambia illegally after failing to undergo laid down immigration formalities.
This is believed to have happened on October 12 after failed talks in Lusaka to try and secure their release from TP Mazembe for Zambia’s October 15 friendly against Brazil.
The trio voluntarily handed themselves in on Friday to immigration officials at Kasumbalesa border post after driving from Chingola.
“We have faith in the immigration department and we feel they are doing a professional job,” Chalenga said.
Balekenifye abaiche baleya. Fipuba fyesu. Yes they were wrong. But let us not frustrate them more. We still need their services.
Changing nationality is so easy these days. Moise Katumbi will just get them Congolese passports and they will get back to TP. Then they won’t be available to play for Zambia anymore although they cannot feature for Congo either owing to their ages.
The best punishment for Sunzu, Kalaba and kaya uja is to make them rewrite grade 7 exams and publish their results.
Guys. We should always remember that playing for the national team is an individual’s choice. Te nkongole iyoo ishakuti tulepinda nokutwalila po abaiche ku Police. They can stop at anytime if pushed too far. Just look at Singuluma. I am sure he (Singuluma) must be laughing at his teammates as we speak and our Mailoni bothers must have started seeing sense in their friend’s decision.
That’s being petty.what does immigration want to achieve? Taking orders from Gabon disaster stadium national,why should I travel all the way to china to make $ 1000 when I can make $ 20000 just 3 hours away,those are the best zambian players you yokels have,move on ba nyama!
This is like slavery. These boys are being punished for refusing to play for the national team, which is a right given to them by the Republican constitution. Without their passports they are likely to lose their jobs at TP Mazembe and only Kabwili will be excited.
No we don’t need them moreover Mukuka Mulenga is recovering so let them play for their mother TP Mazembe we’ll recall Chriphod who.s even more competent than Kalaba and Sinkala for Sunzu we have one KONDWANI.
C Mulenga for Sinkala! Really can he play deffensive? I thought Kondwani is the one covering that position. And talking about deffence lets try either Christopher Munthali or Bronson Chama. We may strugle to replace Sinkala at the moment.
Migration????.its a joke, if those boys r fired at TP mazembe we won’t look after them . Remember there r not in contract with the National team. But just sacrificing for the love of the nation.
Very right
Stop making weasel statements. What did they sign to that obliges them to the national team? Who told them to walk in and out using reg cards instead of passports (yes, I know we used to do that by leaving reg cards at the border to get to Lubumbashi)… we always want to ignore things until we are liable – then we wish to pretend we do not know any rules and regulations. Waza kaula! Waziyambila weka wafana!
Only in Africa where we believe in making life difficult for each other. See!!
Nga mwabapwisha abalumendo elyo mukapeema, te?
PS: Govt will NEVER pay them monthly like does TP Mazembe… Balekeni abaice!!
Leave the boys alone you selfish Gorvement, you have failed to control elegal imigrants and now you want to show hard work on our boys? Get lost and leave them alone
Personal Vandetta? Go hunt real criminals, yes we didnt like what they did but this is going too far, nowonder Diasporians are afraid of going back home,who needs this?
Never forget where you came from! These guys want to sell Zambia for a few congolese dollars? Where did they get their opportunity to be recruited by T.P Mazembe? ” Never forget where you came from” or else your life will never be same again!
They should leave them but they should at least miss the game they were being preserved for by katumbi. If Neymar can sacrifice to play with zambia, how much more the mailon brothers?
Let them go. They should never play for Zambia. Get example from Zambia’s delegation leader in China when Zambia played Brazil. Players of high class from Brazil but very humble.
Pa Z once we get to ma little kwacha we become big headed. Look at some of our politicians who always talk about their wealth – HH, GBM etc. But look at one of the richest men in the world – Bill Gates – very humble just busy with NGOs and trying to identify himself with needy.
THIS IS THE WORST CASE OF ABUSE OF AUTHORITY!!! I URGE THESE BOYS TO SUE IMMIGRATION FOR UNSUBSTANTIATED ALLEGATIONS!!!!!
The issue is whether they violated Immigration Law or not. If they indeed crossed without Passports, then they have a case and even CAF and FIFA respect that and won’t protect them! Discipline is the key in sport! Indiscipline is not to be encouraged
Trywell you are the only one who has spoken sense.All the morons above cant distinguish between the offence committed and their unavailability.
bafikamba balekeni abaiche tamubalisha, dont be selfish for nothing those guys depend on tp mazembe for their living, what do you zambians offer to them? Mwilafipanga ati you are tough inchito yamunobe tabangalilako tawakalishe ulupwa lwabo. Uba ukufita namatobo nga mr ibu.
why report at the border and not Ndola and Lusaka as the *****S claim.the are not clever than everyone.
iam embarrased as a zambian reading this stupid story that is making headlings western media like BBC. All these orders are coming from chi kambwili, fuseke ukufita.
Ukufita is something every African should be proud of. Find another insult sir.
FAZ and immigration need to be serious, what’s the point for all this foolishness, give the boys their passports, they won’t play for Mazembe anyway. You build and then distroy why???
The issue here is that normal procedures for exiting the country were not followed. Its only fair that the law is applied fairly. If this is an offence the surely the law should visit them
Attorney well said.What worries me is are the sentiments being expressed here representing the average Zambian or as i hope it is a case of some monkeys getting access to the internet.
If they crossed the boarder without going through immigration, then it means their passports were not stamped. So there is no proof that they were in DRC. Case closed.
Let this be a lesson for the other footballers who would want to betray their own country and play for foreign lands. Certainly not at the expense of mother Zambia.
Loyalty must be key!!!
Viva immigration! Viva Kambwili! Viva Zambia!!!
Confiscating passports is like killing a fly with a hammer. Cant you find other ways of punishing these wayward boys?
Just rebuke them namwe instead of confiscating their passports.Illegal immigrants are all over our country but u can’t deal with them. Hypocrites!Our towns and compounds are flooded with foreigners but Edger na u zinkimana.Shame!
When do you Zambians get serious? this is Bull?!£ these guys ain’t in the military yah! PHD in that jealous ass country is too much WTF!
The best punishment for Sunzu, Kalaba and Sinkala is to make them rewrite grade 7 exams and publish their results.
Let’s get down to the basics folks. Why were their passports confiscated by immigration in the first place? Because that’s what triggered what’s obtaining right now. Were the passports confiscated because they refused to play for Zambia?
When did immigration department become the attack dog for FIFA and FAZ? There’s Government interference in FIFA affairs here people and you know how the organization responds to this kind of thing.
It is senseless to hold on to their passports when they have not committed any crime. By the way, where are the houses these guys were promised by govt after winning the 2012 AFCON? Players cant be forced to play for the national team, just like qualified Zambians can’t be forced to be civil servants. It’s all about where one gets their bread and butter.
Let TP Mazembe give them passports since they feel like they can’t do without Mother Zambia.Hold on to their passports immigration.I’m liking every piece of an act u doing
Please just give them their passports. it is not logical to hold them. After all Zambia benefits a lot from the monies thesy earn and send back home. That game was important but not to force the players to play. A call to the national team can be denied or accepted and they accepted but these malioni brothers are our own blood and fresh. Remember Hon kambwili is earning his income from the government and they are earning from congo and many people will be affected too by their loss of income. Parents. family and friends and Zambia a mention a few.
We can today do this to them but let us remember the good times too.
I think we have enjoyed many good times with them than bad times. And l think in this case they have done nothing wrong it because they are the grass in this matter.
Forgv dem.
If I am not mistaken FIFA will take great exception to this. Zambia can even be suspended from FIFA and CAF. I hope FIFA takes action!!! I am sure Katumbi has enough influence to get FIFA to act.
This is not a fifa issue. It’s immigration issue. Period.
Iwe Mukame, I don’t agree with you. .. this same Katumbi gave a report that the players are sick. These players might have smelt a rat. How can they be hiding when the fire was burning? Why travelling to copperbelt when they were supposed to solve their matter in lusaka? What happened to the chartered plane, It returned to Congo with empyt seats as the players abadoned it ? .. There is something fishy about this matter:(
But it cannot be an immigration issue. These are Zambians. They ought to be able to enter and leave without passports. It is only the Congolese government that needs to see their passports. As a Zambian, one does not need a passport to come back home. Airlines enforce the passport rules for safety reason only. Those villagers near borders do not have passports, yet they come and go as they please. FIFA rules are clear. No government interference in football!!! In any case, how do you expect Sunzu to ever play for Zambia again after this rough treatment? I now sympathize with Emmanuel Adebayor for refusing to play for his country. Mazembe are a serious side who are aiming to be champions of Africa – unlike the Zambian no-hoppers. This was just a friendly. A meaningless one at that.
I think one of the problems is that Sunzu, like most footballers, is not very bright. Instead of staying silent, he should have faced down his detractors and told them to go take a hike. From what was reported, Kambwili had instructed immigration officials not let the boys out of the country. This had to be illegal anyway!!!
Mukame this matter has changed from footballing to travelling.. The immigration officers are inforcíng their laws as they gave those boys the passports they are using, they (immig) have the right to withdraw the passports for violenting their rules. Why returning by road if there is nothing sinister about their going back to Congo?
This can be compared to police officers confiscating a driving licence when the driver is breaking traffic rules and failing to respect the policy of the police.
The violation here is not missing the China game… But about violating Immigration laws by crossing boarders in an irregular way, and the penalties are clear: the state can withdraw their Passport. Mind you passports are the property of the state and can be withdrawn if you violate laws! Issue is: Did they cross without Passports or Not? If they did, Immigration law will apply! FIFA or CAF can never and have never tolerated violation of Immigration laws anywhere in the world. Laws are there to be followed
Which Lawyer can deffend FIFA in this straight forward case?
Imwe leave these boys alone! Just ignore them and they will feel it. What’s wrong with Zambian poloticians kanshi? Zambia performed very well minus these three chaps so bwafya nshi eee? Also stop likening them to the Miloni Brothers fyabupuba fye mulechita bonse. Focus on real issues not three small boys! What if they were your children? Someone must even stop the immigration nonsense, give them back their passports atase. You are all cheap people. WHAT A COUNTRY!!!
You don’t seem not to understand any thing from your language we see alot of blankness.read widely before you blogg,katumbi knows he errored by cheating illness and injuries on the mailon brothers and FAZ is fixing katumbi for stupid behavior of cheating.how could it be tht all three mailon brothers were unfit for the nation but will be fit for TP mazembe’s crucial game??? It procedure immigration is doing,lawlessness should be sorted out while in the bud.
ITS TIME STARTED LOOKING AT THING MATURELY.LET IMMIGRATION DO ITS JOB. THIS IS THE SAME JOB THEY SHOULD BE DOING I.E MAKING SURE NO INDIVIDUAL LEAVES OR ENTERS THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY. THE IMMIGRATION MUST ALSO MOUNT REGULAR CHECKS ON OUR ROADS AND MUST BE ALLOWED TO CHECK ON OUR DOCUMENTS ANYTIME ANYWHERE WITHIN OUR COUNTRY. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE EVEN THE PROBLEM WITH UNDER AGE DRUNKARDS BECAUSE HOW CAN YOU KNOW THE AGE OF INDIVIDUALS IF YOU ARE CHECKING ON THE UNDER 18 WITHOUT CHECKING THEIR NATIONAL DOCUMENTS. UNTIL WE GET SERIOUS NOBODY WILL TAKE US SERIOUS. LET OUR FOOTBALL GUYS GO THROUGH THIS HOPING THEY WILL LEARN SOMETHING. WE CAN ALL MAKE MISTAKES BUT CREDIT GOES TO THIS PERSON WHO CAN LEARN FROM SUCH MISTAKES.
Let them learn a lession in a hard way. They shud also learn that ur nation comes first in all u doing. Whn ur nations calls u to duty u got to jst do as requested. Anyway, the immigration shud be allowed to do their duty without fear or favour. Let them investivate & move
Why is it that Sunzu’s football career is so prevalently strewn with listening to bad advice?
Let the Immigration Dept investigate. Meanwhile this sends a good message to the players as they reflect this weekend but also to Katumbi that mind the way you do your gymnastics against a sovereign state. It also sends a message to other footballers (sportsmen) etc. But please dont charge them, just ask them to make a remorseful press statement for going into hiding when the country needs you for duty.
The issue is Katumbi who thinks he can buy anyone,he is aware he was being greedy and unfair to the ever burging mailons by asking them to fake illness while preserving them for TP mazembe’s game,katumbi should apologize..after investigations passports will be given back to the boys,the sooner they confess the earlier they go back to DRC,but if they continue joking we will watch them at Nkana here at home,well come home boys.
Zis is not good for my player. Ze government should give zem ze passport to play for ze Congo. If not I quit and will join my brozer Rernard in France.
JUST REMINDING YOU THAT THESES YOUNG MEN ARE FELLOW ZAMBIANS.
MEANWHILE TPM QUALIFIED FOR THE FINAL DESPITE THEM NOT BEING THERE.
YOU ARE DESTROYING THEIR CARRIERS!!!!!!
The boy’s have constitutional right to make a living and to freedom of choice. This is an issue which should not be an issue and speaks a lot for the whores (kambwili’s) bull in china shop management style. Damn!! Why are we so cursed? Elsewhere their refusal to play in China would have put paid to their international footballing careers. But to be put in a hole by the Hoe is stretching authority a bit 2far.
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