BY ADRIAN MWANZA –
FORMER Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Kalusha Bwalya has tipped Chipolopolo skipper Rainford Kalaba to scoop the CAF African player of the year award.
Kalusha said Kalaba was a good player who deserved the award for his contribution to both his club TP Mazembe and the Chipolopolo national team.
The Chipolopolo skipper made the final shortlist of African Player of the Year award for players based on the continent and the winner would be unveiled on January 5, 2017.
Other players vying for the award include Zimbabwe’s Karma Biliat and Uganda’s Dennis Onyango who both play their trade at Mamelodi Sundowns in South African Premier Soccer League.
He said Rainford had a fantastic season and came up with big plays and that he deserved to be nominated for the award.
“I am happy for Rainford and personally I think the nomination itself is a win for the player, he got a just reward,” he said.
The 1988 Africa footballer of the year said chances of Kalaba winning were very high and hoped he wins the award.
He said the competition was stiff as the other players vying for the award were good players who were in top form.
Bwalya said both Biliat and Onyango were worthy finalists because they had continued performing well at their club.
“Football on the continent is very competitive everywhere and for him to be nominated it’s because his team won something and that TP Mazembe is a giant in African football,” he said.
He said Mazembe had proved to be a force to reckon with and that they had competed in the finals of the CAF competitions year in and year out.