Southampton coach Ronald Koeman has broken his silence on why Zambia striker Emmanuel Mayuka has to go.
Mayuka was stripped of his squad number in the 2015/2016 pre-season triggering news that he was heading away from the English Premiership club he joined on a £3million deal in 2012 from Swiss club Young Boys.
The 2012 Africa Cup winning star is reportedly on the verge of joining Russian club Spartak Moscow.
“We have a lot of young people coming into the squad and we have enough strikers and for Mayuka there is no future in the club. There is some contact with [head of football development] Les Reed about Mayuka,” Koeman told UK media.
Mayuka failed to score in 16 games he played for Southampton since his arrival and his only competitive goal came in 2013 a 5-1 Capital One Cup win at Barnsley.
In short like I have always said the boy is not good enough!!
In short, he was the last Zambian striker standing.
@Jay Jay I am impressed that you didn’t blame Kalusha for Mayuka’s soccer career.
Mayuka had a hint his stay at the Saints was nearing the end but he didn’t want to accept the situation. If they strip you of a jersey number and don’t take you to pre-season training isn’t that enough hint that the end has arrived. Do you have to wait kuti bachite kuku longela katundu?
@jay Jay yo hit the nail on the head, just as the coach has – Mayuka doesn’t seem to have recovered from the excitement/ shock of the 2012 AFCON goal against Ghana. He now can’t run and keeps tripping himself and falling all over the show when given a chance. He also so dull that he keeps being caught offside in pretty much the same position for his entire period on the pitch.
The next ZAMBIAN footie player, usually striker to player in the PL might want to try the top half of the country. THERE might be a demon for ZAMBIAN footie down south like there is in the Ministry of Trade and industry. Wait wait let me explain. Mbesuma had failed at Portsmouth and bashi Nono had issues, now Mayuka is going and we have Mrs Mwanakatwe-gate scandal in the same Ministry. This is not a coincidence.
Don’t dream you analyser. Your analysis is always leading you ito hallucinations
He wasn’t given enough opportunities to play and that is a fact.
@msana Wanzili.
I totally agree with you.
What do you think they do in training watch tv? There are no excuses in top league football…Zambian players need to change their mindsets, our West African cousins are successful in Europe because they are hungry.
Jay jay you re spot on! The boy wasn’t good enough & each time they would slot him in as a substitute he looked liked he had seen a ghost no impact at all. The coach gives game time when you prove yourself in training. I can only wish him well I only hope it’s not football age catching up.
Even back home, he has not been scoring goals for national team. The blame was put on Janza. Now the new coach is losing too. Late us just agree that we have no material to finish the job. Janza might not have failed, he had no material, even the new coach will disappoint us coz we want him to make a way where there is none.
Players are assessed during training. You only pick reliable players at that level. There’s no room for experimentation there.
Wasn’t he supposed to give himself enough playing time by proving himself in training?
Or is it a case of us Zambians being “naturally” hated.
Wish you the best muntu wesu at spartak. Age is still on your side.
@Itizi Turu
Why would anyone pay £3m for someone “they naturally hate”? It doesnt make sense and the only reasonable explanation is that he wa given a chance and he simply wasnt good enough…
I went to check on Southampton, there are very blacks in that team.
Koeman is a rascist… just to be blunt, Mayuka or no Mayuka. Just the same as saying :
Renard loves blacks, and Koeman loves white players!!
@Nostradamus,
You accuse Koeman of racism, maybe you are not aware of the appaling and inhuman racism in Russia where Mayuka is going. For example, they throw bananas and scream demeaning things at black players, Ask a Brazilian player called Hulk. Russia is one of the countries with the poorest race relations in the world and their main targets are blacks.
This does not happen here in the UK and is not tolerated. However, discrimination based on race, tribe, religion, gender, etc are worldwide problems, in Zambia it’s tribalism.
Mayuka just wasn’t good enough in the highly competitive and tough Premier league. Don’t forget, modern football is big business and big money and only the very best will fit in. Koeman’s decision has nothing to do with racism.
Whatever…. am just pissed-off, that boy Mayuka can make a fantastic striker. I hope he reading all these stuff, so he can see that some of us like him, especially his behavior. But he has to stop being on Facebook but instead training, running all day long. And he should marry a white girl, for success sake. Not abena Stophila & Nathan ukuya sendamo fye ama locals.
Go get whites girls you soccer players, thats why Kalusha is successful. White girls are not racist.
imwe ba nostradamus ninkoko sana. ati marry white girls? what kind of thinking is this ninshi?
Victor Wanyama is black and from Africa.
Victor Chinyama, Rowe, Matina, Ryan Bertrand, Sadio Mane are all black players; more than you have at Man United, Liverpool…
@JJP don;t expose your ignorance here do you know that Liverpool has the following black playersToure,Balloteli,Ibe,Sturridge,Sarko,Benteke,Origi,Gomez,Clyne ,Total 9.
Which club in the Premier league this many black players?
You are now behaving like pf cadre.
Chelsea have, Drogba, Zouma, Ramires, Willian, Remy, Ake, Loftus Cheek,, guadrado, Jamal Blackman
Koeman is a fool. How does he. expect him to score when he isnt playing
How can you score when you are always on the bench? Mr coach
Mayuka is like HH who sis ever losing elections
HH should be the next presido, ditching his wage to the poor as his account is FULL
He should have stayed in Switzerland . Things were going well for him there. Seems like Zambian players have trouble adapting to the English premiership.
It’s not up to the player when you join a club you are not only an employee you are their property..
hh kachema ni kabolala pompwe mwishibila nsala.
Mayuka has no quality to play in the English league. Let him go back to Israel.
Yet, there are grants that are made for equipment and training.
If, on the other hand, you are not successful in paying
your loans back, you are going to develop “bad credit. For clients, you can target neighborhoods, communities or even companies.