The Football Association of Zambia has defended Zambia’s Christopher Katongo over his comments made about upcoming players ion the wake of Zambia’s 2-1 win over Uganda in an international friendly.
Below is the statement:
STATEMENT ON CHRISTOPHER KATONGO’S POST-MATCH INTERVIEW AT MWANAWASA STADIUM ON WEDNESDAY MARCH 5, 2014
The Football Association of Zambia(FAZ) wishes to clarify Christopher Katongo’s comments in the post match briefing at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium on Wednesday by certain sections of the media
At no time did the captain of the national team mean demean or belittle the performance of Evans Kangwa or any other player during the briefing. Chris enjoys warm relations with his team mates and everybody associated with the team. Katongo’s mentioning of Nkana was not in reference to Kangwa and his performance on that day.
It must be emphasized that Chipolopolo coach, Patrice Beaumelle had earlier on warned against introducing an all new Chipolopolo minus the fusing in of older and experienced players.
” You know if you introduce all the young boys, youngsters with the chipolopolo the pressure on the shoulders may be (its) too hard. Because chipolopolo its huge, its big team. So I believe that its good to find a good mix”.Patrice Beaumelle added.
To emphasize the point by his coach, Katongo added that it was important that players like him and other senior players remain in the team. He also challenged the young ones to rise to the occasion and make a mark saying, “We want a player who gonna be consistent for the club and then he come in and he can challenge us, there is no problem. He gonna find us, he (can) challenge us. If we fail we gonna lift up our hands. So to answer your question for the coach, he needs us and I need him”
The skipper’s sentiments centered around qualitative competition and challenge for the team.
NKWETO TEMBWE
FAZ Communications Manager.
What is this so called ba Nkweto talking about?Can you please show us that you are the man for the job not what you have started?
WHAT A USELESS PRESS RELEASE, POORLY WRITTEN AND LACK OF DIRECTION-
For clubless Katongo, the best way is to leave the stage is while people are still clapping.you are 40 now and not that 31 you claim.your legs are tired and your height like nkweto is your worst nightmare.
chris is not important as at know in fact he does not suet in that team any more, he is just scared of the young boys.his time has gone let him give chance to the young boys mweene Kennedy can lead the squad.the defense,midfield is okay but up front we need fresh legs to put the ball in the net.viva to the young stars.
iwe chisinjojo..why attack mtembwe nkweto..u must be stupid
Only in Zambia can old players without clubs (until recently) like CK still feature in the National team. CK given his highly suspect age shouldn’t be expecting to retain both the captain’s armband and playing 90 minutes.
This just shows you how retrogressive our football is…the empty suits at Football House can’t spin what CK said; they are partly to blame for making it too comfortable for these senior players. They should encourage the youth and not feel threatened by their presence. This is the selfsame reason I have always pushed for a new manager who can come in and judge all on merit and not handpick favourites.
As I always say that given the current circumstances. ..our team is going NOWHERE! !
I knew it I knew it… if Jay Jay will adopt this news with an erection. Katongo is not a such good player, but I think he is gentleman who get along with everybody, except Jay Jay.
Imagine he has been leader of other captains: Mweene, Kasonde, Musonda, Chintu, Chamanga, Jacob, Noah, … and non of those capable captains called for a single boycott. Under Chris Katongo no player complained of unpaid fees.
Patrice needs Katongo.
To add salt to injury the French based players all went AWOL did not fly back in time to feature for their club against Manaco over the weekend. .. that club is in a relegation dogfight (not that I support the club).
These are issues the empty suits at Football House sjould take seriously as next time around those selfsame clubs will not release the players for crucial matches.
Katongo, he gonna stay in the team until the team gonna win the next Nations Cup. Katongo gonna teach the new players some tricks before he gonna retire. Viva my captain Katongooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Show these little brats what it takes to win the Nations cup!
I think mudwala ba boss
Whos is this stupid NKWETO TEMBWE as FAZ Communications Manager with the most useless , wronghly written and gramatically poores media statement of the centeury in Zambia. Its like there is too much nhekelako in the national team. How can a capatin who of recent has be non beneficial,unproductive deamean the future of the Zambian boys and then a useless and baseless statement from FAZ. There is something wrong in FAZ and for the new coach your destiny is being tested. How can you allow a player to threaten some players. Thats rather atrociuos and none impeccable of CK as a leader. Totally deviant and annoying.
RUBBISH
never mind my wrong english as well ifine fi nkweto and useless players busy destrying future footballs with tired legs.
….there was no need for the ‘entire’ FAZ to defend a player even though he is a captain…
FAZ could have just organised a kama min press conference where CK would have told us what FAZ is trying to tell us. FAZ could have just advised CK what to say or what he ‘gonna’ say…….
nkweto.your alledged press statement is of average grammar ,lacks flow of ideas i.e. no cohession or coherence of sentences/paragraphs and is of a poor tone.please try hard next time.for today, ill give you 2out of 10.
Katongo is a local player and he is also feet to play chani competition .Nothing special about him.
Please Nkweto, we expect you to do better than Erick Mwanza but it seems you are being told what to say. Please all Katongo needs to do is apologies to Kangwa. He mentioned Nkana, months of not playing and not being consistant, all this pointed at Kangwa. Let him just apologise. FAZ should not make some players feel big headed.
T.N. Mbunji.
BA KATONGO U ARE FINISHED .
I didn’t pay much attention 2 what chris said.And even if i did i would care less.
Chris katongo is an inspirational player that we nid in our team.winning the BBC award is no mean achievement.Chipolopolo nids CK and CK nids Chipolopolo.
If the Press Release is surely written by Nkweto, then he is a lousy journalist. Mwanza was a better writer.
Katongo as Captain must inspire not demean the younger players, his comments are irresponsible and selfish. Age catches us all, no matter how much we engineer it downwards, the actual plays its part on the body physique. Pull Them Down eyoooo ba CK ni Push them Up.
The problem with Katongo is his english and pomposity (not being humble). Even the way he came out when he won the BBC footballer of the year was not the right way, like he knew he was going to win…. Chris is also emotional and he does not want to face the fact that he is aging! He failed to play in europe and had shot stints with numerous clubs. If he is as good as he would want us to think, he should be playing in europe not for a division two chinese club or worst being clubless!
At 37 or 39 namukula tata so start nurturing the young players not discouraging them.
That juju of blacking out other players and scoring the one and only Goal in a game is not working anymore for Katongo. I guess the young players are coming with stronger juju and obviously Katongo knows his days are numbered. Those who know what happens in the dressing rooms and camps in our local football will surely agree with me.
The best thing CK can do is retire when we still have respect for him or else he will retire with insults following him.
You remind me of the green buffalo internationl defender in the 1980s (Jones Chilengi) to whom insults were hauled at him during his last international appearance.
Attributed to scoring own goal that jeopardised zam’s chance of victory
Christopher Katongo one of my three favorite players in the national team. I love your hard work on the pitch man. Keep it up
KATONGO explained well what he meant in BEMBA , please next time interview these players in their local languages, the man explained everything well in bemba after the match.
When players are tired playing in Europe they go to China and America to make money. But for Katongo to be rejected in China it means alot . He is simply finished,Kweto has already become a VUVUZELA for Kalu who works for Supersport and not FAZ.
You people you really forget so easily. Two years ago Katongo was your darling today ba Kolwe mwalaba.
That was two years ago. Today he is finish and gonna retire as Kangwa is gonna take over
Nkweto’s statement is shallow and meaningless. Kanshi Eric Mwanza was a better Vuvuzela. Ba Katongo should start using Bemba in his interviews because it seems he cannot express himself properly in English. Nkweto will be translating for him.
But the truth is that Evans Kangwa is Bad News, the boy is simply Superb. Katongo is damn scared that the boy will relegate him to the bench or even out of team. Best thing for him is to retire while he is still famous or else he will retire dishonorably.