From SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –
in Rubavu
THE Chipolopolo camp has laughed off rumours suggesting that midfielder Isaac Chansa is ineligible to play at the ongoing 2016 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament here.
Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) club licensing manager Erick Mwanza described the assertions circulating on social media as brouhaha.
The rumour mill has in the last few days been churning out data that Chansa, scorer of Zambia’s winning goal against Zimbabwe in the Group D opener, is a Jomo Cosmos player on loan to Zanaco and that as a result, he was barred to compete at the tournament.
The social media went on to carry several implications of Chansa’s ineligibility with some even placing Zimbabwe on top of Group D on three points with Zambia facing a possible ejection from the tournament, which is specifically for locally-based players.
“Jomo Sono, owner and coach of Jomo Cosmos, confirmed that Isaac Chansa is their player and he was surprised to see him playing in the Zambian team consisting of home-based players. He still has three months on his contract and was loaned to Zanaco,” read one post on social media.
But Mwanza said there was no fibre of truth in the circulating story and that it was merely social media confusion.
“We have established who started that rumour. He is a Zambian and he has been busy fighting FAZ on social media, so we shall not respond further to that except saying that it is social media brouhaha. All players here are eligible and have certificates from their respective FAs,” Mwanza said.
Jomo Cosmos, through the owner’s son Bamuza, expressed shock of his side’s link with Chansa, saying they had not courted the 2012 Africa Cup winner for a move to Cosmos and was not on their books.
Bamuza said the only player Cosmos wanted to bring from Zambia was Christopher Katongo whom they failed to get.
“That news of Chansa is new to us. From Zambia the only player we wanted was Chris Katongo but he had a nagging knee injury, so we opted for a Malawian international. That story about Chansa is new to us,” Bamuza said.
