AFCON: Zambia's long-term program brings big success
*Chipolopolo Boys assured of huge financial rewards
Zambian captain Christopher Katongo says the team's impressive march to the semifinals of the African Cup of Nations is ''payback time'' for a six-year development plan.
African football is notorious for short-term thinking, with foreign coaches often handed temporary contracts at the last minute before big tournaments and players falling in and out of favor.
Inspired by former playing great and current federation president Kalusha Bwalya, Zambia has opted to favor coaching continuity and keeping the same core of young players together.
This has resulted in the team finding itself on the verge of a first AFCON final since 1994, depending on the result of last night’s (Wednesday) semifinal clash against Ghana in Bata, while traditional African heavyweights like Nigeria, Cameroon and Egypt failed to even qualify for the tournament.
Zambia coach Herve Renard was billing the match against the Ghanaians as the biggest game of his career.
There are also reports that the ‘Chipolopolo’ boys reaped over $20,000 each for reaching the AFCON semifinals.
They are believed to have pocketed about $10,000 each for qualifying for the quarterfinals, and an extra $13,000 for being among the last four teams at the competition co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
Zambia finished top of Group A ahead of Equatorial Guinea, Libya and the overrated, underachieving Senegal.
The Chipolopolo then went on to knock out Sudan in the quarterfinals with a 3-0 thumping at the Estadio de Bata.
More incentives were being dangled to the team, which has been a talking point here after initially being regarded as underdogs prior to the tournament.
Insiders within the team said rewarding the players was meant to motivate them, with each player assured of receiving at least $59,000 cumulative by the time the tournament ends.
The winners of the Zambia-Ghana clash would take on either Ivory Coast or Mali (who also played last night) in the final in Libreville, Gabon, on Sunday.
Yanga worried about
security in Egypt
By Kassim Nyaki
Tanzania Mainland soccer champions Young Africans are worried with security measures in Egypt ahead of their Africa Champions League qualifiers, return leg tie against Zamalek next month.
This comes after the recent soccer tragedy that saw over 70 soccer fans lose their lives in that country.
Yanga’s information officer Louis Sendeu said the club is still waiting for word from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) with regard to any possible change of venue should the crisis escalate in Egypt.
The Yanga spokesman said there is still ample time to be patient as CAF would consult Egyptian football authorities to weigh on the degree of safety and security ahead of the match.
Yanga play the first leg match of the tie against Zamalek at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on February 18. The return leg is scheduled for two weeks later (early March) in Cairo.
Sendeu said Yanga as a club has yet to take any measures or precautions for the return leg tie.
The entire international soccer fraternity has expressed shock and disappointment over the Egyptian soccer riots that left 74 people dead and over 1,000 others injured with 150 in critical condition.
Egypt has been experiencing political instability since the mass riots that dethroned long-serving president Hosni Mubarak’s regime early last year.
A tribute to the late Gratian Matovu
By Kassim Nyaki
Tanzanian soccer like in any other country has its own history, and there are various people who played a big role in one way or another over the years.
In the 1960s, Tanzania was not well known internationally through football, but the post-independence years brought with them characters who would go on to leave an indelible mark on the game.
Among such people was the late Gratian Hemans Matovu, a recognized international soccer referee with a FIFA badge since 1964. Matovu passed away last week at his residence in Mbezi Beach, Dar es Salaam.
He obtained his refereeing diploma much earlier, in 1956, and later qualified to become a Grade A referee by the time of independence in 1961. Three years later, he got his FIFA badge.
But Matovu’s involvement in the game did not end as an international referee; he also served as a leader in various positions including president of the Tanzania Referees Association (FRAT) and temporal chairman for of the Football Association of Tanzania (FAT) - now Tanzania Football Federation – in the late 1990s.
Some people close enough to Matovu say he continued to contribute to the game in various ways well into his advanced years and up until his death.
They say he has left a big gap not only in his immediate family but also within TFF and the entire Tanzanian and African soccer fraternity.
He was once also a trainer of referees under the African Football Confederation (CAF), as well as a commissioner of the confederation at one point.
The standards he set have now been thrown down as a challenge for the current crop of Tanzanian soccer referees to try to live up to.
The late Gratian Hemans Matovu was born November 1, 1926 in Karagwe district, Kagera region, and died February 4, 2012 aged 85. He is set to be buried today (February 9) in his Karagwe home village. May His Soul Rest In Peace.
Dar, Mwanza boxers
picked for regional meet
By Valentine Oforo
Tanzania is expecting to send boxers from Dar es Salaam and Mwanza to envoy the country at this years’ East Africa Intercity bout, set to commence from February 26 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The boxers will also use the championships to shape for the coming qualifying international championship at Casablanca, as part of seeking for qualification to feature in this year London Olympic Games.
Speaking to this paper through telephone interview recently, the Tanzania Boxing Federation (TBF) secretary general Mashaga said the two regions have impressive boxers with good exposure with international bouts, saying they will flag Tanzania high in the championships.
Mashaga said BFT is still looking in vain for sponsors to help send boxers to compete in various international bouts including Casablanca, in order to qualify for the Olympics.
He said BFT was “in financial ICU”, relying on companies and individual well-wishers to come to its aid since there are no indications that the government will chip in and inject support.
“It’s very frustrating, but there is no option more than keep on begging for support. If things will turn sore, we will have no choice but to pull out of the Olympics, which will be a big missed opportunity,” he stated.
Tanzania is expected to be represented in at least three sports disciplines at the London Olympiad, namely boxing, athletics and swimming. But todate, only one athlete has so far met the criterion set for competing at the biggest sporting gala of them all.
With none of the associations governing all three sports having the funds to send their charges abroad in search of qualification, the government has remained quiet over the issue.
Politicking rife as DRFA election draws closer
By Kassim Nyaki
With the Dar es Salaam football association (DRFA) elections set to go ahead on March 18 this year, many sports fans feel it is better if the association addresses the challenges raised by former TFF secretary Michael Richard Wambura before election day.
Wambura, who is eying the DRFA presidency, last week blamed the association for going against both the Tanzania Football Federation constitution and the national constitution, hence the election may not be free and fair.
Some sports fans say that though Wambura is also a contestant, it’s better to take his concern earlier for avoidance of unnecessary chaos later.
Juma Hoza told The Express that he supported the concern raised by Wambura that it is better for all regional football associations to have a similar constitution in line with that of TFF.
“We need to groom young footballers from all regions as our future national team… if some election procedures in the regions create chaos how can we succeed in doing that?” questioned Hoza.
On her side, Ms Sophia Shirima said she also supported the concerns raised by Wambura because in this days and age football associations should not be led by people with only primary education.
“The constitutions governing sports at regional level should be amended to ensure qualified and competent leaders,” she said.
Wambura has also criticized the incumbent DRFA leadership of fixing a Tshs 500,000 charge on the application forms, saying this is contrary to rules and regulations governing the elections.
DRFA announced that applicants for the key posts of chairperson, secretary and treasurer should pay Tshs 500,000, while other applicants have to pay Tshs 300,000.
According to DRFA election chairperson Muhidin Ndolanga, the nomination forms which have already started to be handed out, will be sorted on February 15 before interviews to take place February 16.
There will also be two days set aside for any objections to the approved list of nominees to be lodged and dealt with.
Time to clean up FIFA, says Pele
The time has come to clean up soccer's governing body FIFA "from top to bottom", three-times world champion Pele has said.
Asked in an interview about corruption in Brazilian football last week, Pele said: "There is some clean-up that needs to be done, but not only in Brazilian football. Now is a good time to clean up FIFA, from top to bottom."
FIFA has been plagued by corruption allegations in recent years, most notably with former Asian Confederation chief Mohamed Bin Hammam serving a lifetime ban after being accused of bribery while he was bidding to succeed FIFA president Sepp Blatter last year.
Bin Hamman withdrew from the race and Blatter, who later sparked a furore over comments about racism, was re-elected unopposed for a third term.
Pele, who won the World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1970, also dismissed Argentine prodigy Lionel Messi as a potential threat to his legacy as arguably the world's greatest ever player.
"He is a great player. When he'll have scored 1,283 goals and won three World Cups, we'll talk about it again," he said.
Malta club recruits Tanzanian player
By Kassim Nyaki
Top Malta soccer side Mosta FC has signed on a 21-year-old Tanzanian forward, Zakaria Kibona, from Atlantis FC of Finland as part of their movements in the international January transfer window.
Kibona’s arrival is said to have led to the release by the club of another forward, Maki Mvondo from Cameroon, who has lost his place in the first eleven.
It is also understood that Mosta have finalised a deal with fellow Malta heavyweights Valletta FC for midfielder/striker Dyson Falzon to return to the Mosta side on loan till the end of the season.
Having earlier also signed Florent Raimy and Obinna Obiefule, Mosta are now seeking to recruit yet another foreigner, Serbian midfielder Predrag Mirceta.
Meanwhile, Mosta kept up their winning streak in the Malta premier league when a solitary goal by newcomer Obinna Obiefule was enough to edge them past Qormi FC and confirm their resurgence under coach Steve Damato.
Kibona appeared as a second half substitute replacing scorer Obiefule in the match.
FIFA grassroots development program resumes in Temeke
By Valentine Oforo
The FIFA grassroots development program resumed last week at Mtoni Kijichi primary school in Temeke district, Dar es Salaam, being efforts by the world football governing body to boost performance of the game from grassroot level.
The program was officially launched in December last year and as per schedule, the next phases will be conducted at Kinyerezi primary school in the city’s Ilala district.
It allows boys and girls aged between six and 12 to benefit from on and off-pitch soccer skills whereby FIFA also provides all crucial gear and materials.
Tanzania Football Federation spokesman Boniface Wambura said the program is very helpful at stimulating development of the game locally.
He said the federation will work closely with FIFA officials to accomplish the task.
The program also involves football development seminars to be conducted by FIFA instructors. It is geared towards supporting FIFA member associations in setting priorities for their grassroots development programs and imparting local trainers with best training skills and techniques.