2019 COSAFA U20 Player of the Tournament Patrick Gondwe has thanked Nkana for believing his talent as the Zambia Under-20 midfielder prepares to head for trials at Spanish club CD Numancia.
Gondwe’s most valuable player award at the just ended 2019 COSAFA U20 Cup, that Zambia hosted from December 4-14, also earned him the tournament lone prize of a trial at Numancia.
“This is a life-changing opportunity of undergoing trials at a professional club in Spain. My sincere gratitude goes to Nkana FC and its major sponsor Mopani Copper Mines for having accorded me the privilege of being part of the Nkana Youth team,” Gondwe said.
“It doesn’t matter where I might end up in my football career but I will forever be grateful to Mopani and Nkana FC for helping me discover and develop my God-given talent.”
Gondwe, who scored two goals in four games at the tournament, was one of two Nkana players in the 2019 COSAFA U20 Cup winning team that beat South Africa 3-0 in the final on December 14 at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka.
Defender Justin Mwanza is the other player who featured in all five matches.
Why do most Zambians fail at trials? We have a low self esteem. Agreeing that our nation has special soccer skills and talent we need to invest in lifting our players personalities… You can’t command a place in a team if you cant command one on one conversations. Nkumbabulile and ‘umbleness’ must be put in their places. We should teach our players to assert themselves but pay due respect. Do you remember Masauso Tembo? He had it but lacked balance