• CHIPOLOPOLO skipper, Christopher Katongo (left) talks to Evans Kangwa after the Nkana striker scored in Zambia’s 2-1 win over Uganda in an international friendly match on Wednesday. Picture by DAVID KANDUZA

By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –
THE Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has jumped to the defence of Chipolopolo skipper Chris Katongo who has come under heavy criticism after being quoted in the media attacking national team upstarts.
FAZ communications manager, Nkweto Tembwe said Katongo was merely amplifying Chipolopolo coach Patrice Beaumelle’s sentiments that the reconstruction process of the team will need both the young and old.
In a statement released yesterday, Tembwe said Katongo did not refer to Zambia’s saviour in the match against Uganda, Evans Kangwa, who scored a brace to overturn a one goal first-half deficit.
“Chris enjoys warm relations with his team mates … Katongo’s mentioning of Nkana was not in reference to Kangwa and his performance on that day.
“At no time did the captain of the national team mean to demean or belittle the performance of Evans Kangwa or any other player during the briefing,” the FAZ spokesperson said.
Katongo was quoted in the post-match press briefing stating that the national team was a place for consistent players and not one-flash wonders who would have just played one game or two for Nkana or any other club.
The football family reacted angrily to the statement saying he was obviously referring to Kangwa, who has been quiet and out of football for a year, but popped up to score a brace for Zambia.
But Nkweto said that it must be emphasised that Beaumelle had earlier warned against introducing an all new Chipolopolo squad and leaving out the older and experienced players.
He even quoted Beaumelle from previous interviews in which he spoke on the need to lessen pressure on the young players by thrusting straight them into the team without a well managed fusing.
“Chipolopolo is huge, its a big team. So I believe that it’s good to find a good mix,” Nkweto stated, quoting Beaumelle.
Katongo’s verbatim stated that “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.”
FAZ said what Katongo meant was that he was throwing a challenge to the young ones to rise to the occasion and make a mark.
And KALUMIANA KALUMIANA reports that former Zambia and Nkana defender Mordon Malitoli has slammed Katongo’s tirade on Chipolopolo prospects.
Katongo last Wednesday night failed to recognise Kangwa’s contribution in Chipolopolo’s 2-1 friendly win over Uganda where the latter scored a brace and instead mounted a bizarre attack on young talent, saying shining in regional tournaments did not make them stars.
Malitoli said Katongo’s statement was harsh, divisive and demeaned international football.
“When he was coming to the national team he was young and found senior players and I can tell you no one used the kind of language that he is using,” Malitoli said.
“He is supposed to inspire the youngsters because he is going anytime.
“If there is a chance for a youngster to play where the senior players are failing let him play to prove himself.”
The 1994 Africa Cup silver medallist said the onus was on Katongo to leave behind a legacy as a Chipolopolo captain that one could look up to with respect and not who sowed seeds of antagonism.
“It is the same football whether it is Cosafa, Cecafa or whatever and the only difference is that they are no professionals in these competitions but the team is still Zambia and when the game is FIFA certified it even affects our FIFA rankings,” he said.
“So is he also telling us that for CAF to introduce CHAN they are dull?
“These tournaments are there to expose players like Kangwa and look where he is now.”
Malitoli said Katongo should remember that Kangwa came from a big club like Nkana were he has proved himself with goals in a team where competition for places was strong.
Kangwa has scored three goals so far in 2014 one in Nkana’s 3-1 win in the Samuel ‘Zoom’ Ndhlovu Charity Shield final over Red Arrows on February 22 prior to Wednesday’s brace against Uganda.