. Sinkala

By FELIX MALUNGA and SANDRA MWILA –
AS the 2015 COSAFA Senior Challenge Cup gets underway today, defending champions, Zambia have made a last minute attempt to secure the services of Chipolopolo vice-captain, Nathan Sinkala from his DR Congo club, TP Mazembe.
Sinkala, who has been laid off by injury since January this year, featured for the Chipolopolo in last Sunday’s international friendly match against Malawi at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka.
But with the prestigious regional football tournament being staged in South Africa taking place outside the FIFA dates, clubs are at liberty not to release their players for such an assignment.
Chipolopolo skipper, Rainford Kalaba and his Mazembe clubmates, Given Singuluma and Kabaso Chongo will therefore, not be released for Zambia’s COSAFA Cup title defence as the Congolese side will be involved in fierce nine league games play-offs which conclude next month.
However, Sinkala, whose loan to Swiss side, Grasshopper expired, is yet to be registered by Mazembe to begin featuring in domestic and international matches and the Congolese giants have indicated that those formalities will be done next month when the transfer window opens.
Because of his inactivity at club level, the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) decided to write to the Congolese football authorities (FECOFA) requesting for the services of the defensive midfielder at the COSAFA Cup.
Mazembe confirmed receipt of FAZ’s request but that the decision will be made by the club’s president, Moise Katumbi.
“Yes, FAZ wrote to FECOFA requesting for the services of Nathan Sinkala.
FECOFA have since forwarded the FAZ letter to us for consideration. But our (Mazembe) president will decide. As you maybe aware, Sinkala is already back in Lubumbashi training with the team.
Despite not playing for the club yet, Sinkala is on the Mazembe payroll,” a Mazembe source said.
Sinkala sustained a knee injury during Zambia’s 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group B opening match against DR Congo at Estadio de Ebebiyin in Equatorial Guinea.
The 2012 AFCON winner got injured after a collision with Congolese talismanic striker, Yannick Bolasie late in the second half of the match which ended in a 1-1 draw in the Equatorial Guinea border town of Ebebiyin.
Meanwhile, coach Honour Janza, who is expected to name his squad tomorrow, said he will not underrate any of their sides taking part in the tournament in the quest to defend the title won in 2013.
Janza said there was no longer underdogs in football and that the Chipolopolo will prepare adequately to keep the dream alive of coming back with the title.
“Of course our target at the COSAFA tournament is to defend the title, but we are also using the competition to prepare for the Africa Cup qualifiers,” Janza said.
Janza is hoping he can have the services of the Israel duo of Evans Kangwa and Emmanuel Mbola and the South African based players who include Kennedy Mweene, Mukuka Mulenga and Bornwell Mwape to beef up the local squad.
South Africa is hosting the 2015 COSAFA Cup from May 17 to 30 in the North-West Province. COSAFA has staked a total R1.1-million (about K660,000) for cash prizes for teams and players alike.
The tournament organisers announced R500,000 (about K300,000) as prize-money for the 2015 winner with the runners-up claiming R250,000 (about K150,000) and the team that will get the bronze medal will reap R125,000 (about K75,000).