NOT only does a veteran provide leadership for younger players and bring the team together, he also prepares other players to assume his role in future. It is easy for younger players to listen to a more experienced teammate and do what they are told.
In every transition, it is much more difficult to build a formidable and disciplined team once the veteran players retire and leave a vacuum.
You might have players on a team that are old enough to be veterans, but are completely unprepared to help the coach guide the team than it is to nurture young talent.
When George ‘Chicken’ Lwandamina recalled Christopher Katongo and Isaac Chansa to the national team ahead of the ongoing Africa Nations Championship (CHAN), his decision was met with heavy criticism by football pundits and other stakeholders.
Critics felt that Lwandamina should have given priority to younger players taking into account the fact that the tournament was purely developmental.
Today, the so called ‘tired legs’ have been at the centre of the team’s progress to the quarterfinals at the CHAN having scored two crucial goals apiece that saw Zambia finish top of Group D on seven points, two better than runners-up Mali.
That got me thinking, where were the much preferred fresh blood or young talents when the team desperately needed their input during those group matches?
Often times we tend to focus on younger players and pay considerable attention on ‘the next big thing while we so often overlook the impact which the footballing greats who are in the twilight of their career, can make on the development of younger players.
With that big question in mind, I was compelled to highlight the importance of veteran players in every team that desires success at any level of competition.
Many people find it difficult to define the term ‘veteran’ and how one qualifies to be called a veteran. Some base their classification of a veteran on age and experience but in essence, one needs to have a long, productive career to be granted veteran status.
Sitting on the bench, no matter how long, doesn’t make someone a veteran.
One of the main reasons behind Lwandamina’s move to include Chansa and Katongo in his CHAN squad was the two are still good players. Whilst they have declined in terms of their physique, they possess excellent mental and technical attributes that saw them step up when the team needed positive results so dearly.
At 34, France legend Zinedine Zidane came out of retirement to inspire ‘Les Bleus’ to the finals of the 2006 FIFA World Cup when they were dubbed non-contenders for the crown. Taunted as a team of veterans, France eliminated a star-studded Brazil and highly fancied Spain enroute to the final.
On the local front, Kalusha Bwalya scored an-all important goal as player-coach during the 2006 world cup qualifiers in a 1-0 win against Liberia at the Independence stadium in 2004.
Chansa and Katongo may not be as fast as they were in their prime, but the mental and technical attributes they still possesses make them valuable assets to the team.
An additional benefit to having these older players is the value they can have as a tutor for younger talents.
These seasoned professionals have many excellent traits they can pass on to the next generation, turning the precious youngsters from prospects into players who actually live up to expectations, unlike so many who buckle under the weight of public expectations.
One can only imagine how good players like Kangwa Chileshe and Lottie Phiri could have become if a more seasoned colleague had taken them under their wing and shown them the ropes.
Looking at Chansa and Katongo in action at the CHAN, I was forced to believe that the two lads are motivated by a desire to win. It is not about money or greed, as some people may think.
Some younger players don’t take certain competitions very seriously.
They tend to waste their talent and miss out on wins and accomplishments but when they grow older, they realise that they could have done more had they taken things more seriously.
In contrast, experienced players realise that they still have enough in the tank for new victories as they have the experience to take full advantage of their abilities. that is a stage where no one wants to retire.
Veteran players are able to predict other player’s movements during a match and show character when performing under pressure.
Many are times when coaches attribute bad results to lack of concentration but with experienced players in the team, they rally teammates to maintain focus on the game.
To sum up, the importance of veterans in teams cannot be overemphasised, it therefore importance to coaches at club level to take a leaf from Lwandamina’s bold decision if they are to achieve positive results.
All the best to the Chipolopolo as they take on Guinea in the CHAN quarterfinal this afternoon.
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