Footballer Clifford Mulenga has proposed that one of the stands at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka be named in honour of Fourth President Rupiah Banda.
Banda is a former FAZ Chairman and one of the pioneers of Chiparamba Youth Academy together with his son Nenani.
Chiparamba groomed Mulenga and his former Chipolopolo team mates Davies Nkausu and Given Singuluma among others.
In an interview in Ndola, Mulenga, the Forest Rangers forward, hailed RB’s contribution to Zambian football.
“Ba Rupiah Banda played an integral part in a lot of Zambian footballers’ lives. For example when ba Kalusha Bwalya went to Belgium ba Rupiah Banda was there for him,” Mulenga said.
“There are players like me Davies Nkausu, Given Singuluma that came through an academy that was started by his son Nenani Banda you now so I feel like one way that we can the great man and the contributions that he made to Zambian football will be maybe to name one of the stands at Heroes Stadium as Rupiah Banda Stand. For me I think it would be good to just name one of the stands in Heroes Stadium as Rupiah Banda Stands,” said the speedy winger.
Banda died last Friday in Lusaka after battling cancer.
Mulenga recalled his encounters with Banda when launching his career at Chiparamba in Lusaka.
“I just want to thank God for the opportunity that he gave me to have met that great man. I knew I was one of his favourite players. He would always encourage me and always tell coaches that ‘this is my son, give him a chance to play and score goals’. He enjoyed the way I played football,” he said.
Mulenga is famous for winning the 2007 CAF Young Player of the Year award.
Just build a whole new stadium or sports/office complex and name it after the old man.
I didn’t like RB but I would rather he gets something named after him than lazy lungu. Nothing is named after hh yet he has done more than what lungu did in his rule.
Clifford Mulenga is right to have proposed the naming of one of national assets in President Rupiah Banda’s name. To be fair, by virtual of his having led Zambia as president, he deserves it. May his soul rest in eternal peace.