By Mwizenge S. Tembo, Ph. D.
Emeritus Professor of Sociology

When the final whistle blew when the Copper Queens won 3-1 against Costa Rica, I was thrilled, dancing, and beaming with pride. The first and historic Zambia Women’s participation in the football World Cup was over. In fact, all Zambians should be proud and congratulate the team. The team played their best and represented us well on and off the pitch. We had not even scored a goal after the first two games that we lost.

What I was afraid of was that if the team had lost all 3 games and not even scored a single goal, it was going to be a disaster. It means if the team ever qualified again to the World Cup next time, the first thing the football commentators were going to say is: “In their first World Cup, The Zambian Copper Queens never won a game or even scored one goal.” That big monkey has been taken off the nation and the team’s back.

The football commentators kept highlighting that FIFA ranked the Copper Queens 77th which was the lowest ranked team in the tournament. If many of the current team members remain on the team for a longer time, their World Cup experience will be invaluable in helping the entire Copper Queens team play and improve to the very highest and most challenging world cup football standard.

Since the team is back home and their world cup participation dust is beginning to clear, it may be useful as a nation to make an assessment of their play and look to both broad and specific recommendations for the future improvement of the team in particular and football in general in Zambia.

Specific Recommendations

The government needs proper funding for the women’s national team. Zambians as patriotic private citizens need to also contribute toward material resources in support of the team. We ought to have fan clubs and donations from all over the country. The team’s play and achievements so far have demonstrated that they deserve more and the best funding.

One thing I noticed that troubled me was that the Zambia players were slipping a lot during the first game against Japan. I saw at least ten players slip and as a result could not get up in time to make the play. I did not see even one Japanese player slip. Both teams were obviously playing on the same slippery field conditions probably because of rain. Fortunately, brand new and better cleats were bought for the team before the game against Spain.

FAZ needs to properly investigate the allegations against the coach about sexual harassment of the players. If the allegations are found to be true, the coach needs to be disciplined. Players need to be counseled and empowered so that they have recourse for reporting if they are victims of such terrible conduct on the part of this coach and any other future coaches. If sexual harassment is tolerated, this would discourage players from joining the team. This could also destroy the morale and cohesion of the team.

The Zambian’s women’s team is not alone. On October 3 2022, The Guardian reported an investigation that had found wide spread sexual abuse and harassment of players of United States Women’s National Soccer Team by male coaches.

Broad recommendations

In my last 31 years since 1990, I have been closely involved in helping, sponsoring and organizing football teams for local young men and children in rural areas in Lundazi in Zambia and here in the United States. Football or soccer was unknown in the United States in schools and local communities in 1990. Some local families and I, helped introduce soccer in the local communities to a point where today thirty years later we have boys and girls’ soccer teams in all local schools.

What we need to do in the whole of Zambia is introduce football for girls and women all over the country. This should be in all the schools and villages including in the rural areas. The urban poor townships could also encourage football teams for girls.

Once we have football teams for girls all over Zambia, it will then be possible for the Women’s national team to recruit players from rural areas such as in Kalabo, Mwinilunga, Mbala, Gwembe Valley as well as in townships such as in Lusaka, Livingstone, Ndola, and Chililabombwe. Some of the best athletes might be in rural areas. Doing all of this will require tremendous national will and dedication. Getting better results for the Women’s nation team will not be easier next time as all over the world today, women’s football play is getting better as shown in some of the upsets in the current world cup.

As I am watching the teams playing in the round of 16, I am noticing that most of the players from the top remaining teams are taller, big, faster, and stronger. I noticed this for the Colombian team and the British Lionesses. We could debate this as one can ask whether being big, taller, and stronger is achievable or necessary. Isn’t athleticism enough? Maybe we should introduce a new modern, uniquely Zambian athletic diet and training regimen for our national teams if we are not doing that already.

Lastly, the Zambian Men’s National Football team, the Chipolopolo boys, are now on notice. The Copper Queens qualified for the World Cup. The men should now be challenged to qualify for the world cup. This should provide the team more motivation.

The other day, leader of an obscure political enterprise going by the name – Citizens First, Harry Kalaba, could not escape the fury and frustrations of social media fanatics for crossing the line and pretending, or attempting to demonstrate he is hewn from the same fabric as Rocket Scientists by claiming the much touted Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is nothing, but a scam!

According to a News Diggers Newspaper story carried on their Facebook page, Kalaba insisted that the K1.6 million they used to receive as CDF when he was member of parliament was doing more tangible things than the current K28 million which only exist on paper. He said this when he featured on a Camnet TV programme, Tuesday.

However, some alert netizens, obviously more conversant with current affairs, couldn’t take Kalaba’s insinuations lightly. They immediately went for his throat! Social media enthusiast and fervent blogger, Haggai Muzeya, was first to come out with guns blazing! He dismissed Kalaba’s assertions as cheap politicking and mere propaganda; further citing a report on the impact of CDF around the nation as compiled by the CIC press team. “In order to enable everyone benefit from the national cake,107 groups have received grants amounting to K2.1 million while 39 beneficiaries have received K3.2 Million in Mongu. To boost trade in the area,the Mandanga market was completed through CDF at a cost of over K1 million and will be handed over to the community soon,” the report states in part.

“News Diggers, you claim to be “the home of investigative journalism in Zambia”. Did you validate this assertion from Kalaba, for it to be news?” wondered Mbinji Mufalo. “I subscribe to News Diggers and it is the first news media I read every day, because ND is an appreciated news media. However, lately it seems you are slowly sliding into a “he/she said yaketi yaketi” news media.”

Mundia Lubinda seemed to be on the same page as Mufalo. “How can a newspaper write such nonsense when they can see what’s obtaining in the constituencies e.g. procurement of earth moving equipment, construction of bridges and schools, disbursement of grants and loans etc and yet you give room to Kalaba to brag that the K1.6m was doing great things!” he wondered.

Angelina Angelic chipped in and quipped that “atleast it’s a scam which has reached all constituencies unlike the K1.6m which was only available in previous regimes strongholds and this time around only sharp and intelligent MPs like Sunday Chanda, Clement Andeleki etc are able to utilise the CDF.”

On the other hand, Sandra Chileya advised Kalaba to consider visiting Kanchibiya Constituency just as an example so that he can see, “how CDF is being effectively applied in the area.”

While Kaji observed that HH has mesmerised the likes of Kalaba with his spectacular performance such that they are now unable to pinpot Achilles heels on which to hanker their criticism, others such as Mwila C. Bwanga agreed that CDF is indeed creating an impact in certain parts of the country with Yamikani Daka remarking that only incompetent MPs including some in the government and those from certain disgraced opposition political parties are failing to utilize CDF to deliver development in their constituencies.

“If Kalaba bothered to step out of his comfort zone for once; he’ll certainly appreciate that CDF has triggered development, especially in rural areas,” wrote Zak Zim. In apparent agreement with him, Collins Munthali stated that HH has indeed fixed the rural areas; what is remaining is just fixing the urban areas and the likes of Kalaba will be left with their mouths agape!

Apart from this, Lisa Miselo cautioned the opposition leader to stop pretending and acknowledge the development taking shape in different parts of the country. “We have witnessed what once were mere thatched schools being transformed into modern infrastructure. Where’s the money to finance such projects coming from, if I may ask?” She mused.

The tone of the debate then changes afterwards with most bloggers not having any kind words for the CF leader.

Mwansa Rampa Have who claims to have been to Bahati where Kalaba once served as area MP retorted, “this guy is a joker! He did nothing for the people of bahati. Even the previous MP who stood on his party ticket was voted out by the people of bahati.”

“What is our former foreign affairs minister smoking for him to fail to comprehend what is taking place around the country?” wondered Dugan Chisense while Eugene Ngosa described the issues Kalaba was raising as childish and laughable; “no wander he failed to develop Bahati constituency!”

Others such as Henry Mulenga dismissed Kalaba as an unwise individual who has failed to establish that his Malawian mentor and pastor, Bushiri, is simply a magician busy at work hoodwinking gullible members of the public, while Zack Dony added that, “Kalaba alaba bwangu.” He concluded by stating that anybody who passed through PF has a mental problem!

“The Citizens First leader is simply a confused and frustrated chap!” exclaimed Bernard Mtayachalo as Newton Kayumba described him as worse than the late Chama Chakomboka. “I wonder why his brains fail to coordinate with his mouth at critical times.”

The likes of Mumbi Mukuka took it upon themselves to ‘educate’ Kalaba that a total of 32 projects have been completed in Chinsali under CDF so far; including loans, grants, school bursaries, desks and skills development.

Interestingly, Sylvester Nsofwa bemoaned that, “If there’s a President in Zambia that people have to come to hate with a passion and for no apparent reason, it’s HH.
Whatever he does essentially has no approval from the so called opposition. They harbour grudges against the president for a number of reasons: being Tonga, being highly educated, being successful, being smart, being a family man with no record of infidelity and lastly winning the elections with a landslide!”

Not being one to disappoint; Local Government & Rural Development Minister, Hon. Gary Nkombo, stepped in and delivered a knockout punch. He emphasised that the Citizens First leader should strive to have even one MP for his party who will help him understand what’s going on in government.

“Even a grade two pupil would know that K28 million CDF can do more things than K1.6 million!” Nkombo, fondly referred to as Mazembe by many scoffed.

By Prince Bill M Kaping’a
Political/Social Analyst