WE are having an influx of Zambian players trekking to India and not to play the wonderful game of cricket but football.
With due respect to our Indians friends, who lost 2-0 to Pakistan in a first ever football series between the two sides since 2008 thanks to a late goal by Saddam Hussain on Wednesday, what value is playing in the Indian Football League going to add to our football development.
India are 150th in Fifa’s world rankings while Pakistan languish further down in 164th spot.
A brief research on India football revealed that retired batting great Sachin Tendulkar will lead a clutch of former cricketers and movie stars in promoting the start of the Indian football league.
Tendulkar and former India captain Sourav Ganguly are among team owners in the Indian Super League, which will have its draft for foreign players in Mumbai when 49 big names will be available for eight franchise teams.
Former Arsenal midfielder Fredrik Ljungberg and ex-Newcastle United striker Michael Chopra, who is of Indian origin, will be among the top names featuring in the draft for the October-December tournament.
But was left wondering and pondering as to what would drive a Zambian player to go and play in the Indian league? Is it to make money upon realising that age is catching up or just the luxury or status of playing professional football abroad?
Isaac Chansa, Khondwani Mtonga and now Francis Kasonde are the Zambian names to soon start plying their trade in India? Much I am not a fan of the South African League as a destination for our players. I feel the trio would have gone elsewhere were competition levels were better than Zambia for them to develop and improve.
I feel it is high time that our players started looking at breaking in league in France where even games in the lower league are competitive which is same as in the English Division One and the other lower leagues.
But this trend looks to continue as long as we have managers whose interest is to fatten their pockets at the expense of the player’s career progression. In my view, a player is even better off coming back to play in the Zambian league.
Look at how many players have come back and doing well in the MTN-FAZ Premier League. Hope these so called advisors can start advising the players well and sending them to India, next will be Pakistan.
Lastly, let me wish Zambian champions Nkana all the best in their bid to qualify for the CAF 2014 Confederation Cup semi finals as they take on Sewe Sport on Sunday in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
The ball is in Nkana’s hands and coach Beston Chambeshi and his players know what is expected of them without depending on tonight result in a match involving Al Ahly and Etoile du Sahel.
Hope the players have been motivated enough more than Sewe Sport who have been promised US$1, 000 each should they beat Nkana. But mere qualification for the last four should be an extra incentive for Nkana.
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