By MICHAEL MIYOBA
FORMER Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Mukuka “Deco” Mulenga has urged upcoming local footballers wishing to play in a foreign league to focus and work hard to achieve their dreams.
Mulenga who rejoined Power Dynamos after his shot stint in South Africa said in an interview hard work is key for players to progress in football.
Despite not having enough game time at Mamemodi Sondown, Mulenga said he had a good experience in South Africa where he learned the importance of working hard to be relevant as a player.
The enterprising midfielder featured for Chamboli Youth, Kitwe Youth Academy and Kabwe Warriors before joining Power where he impressed before trekking to South Africa. He said he is also working hard at his current club to regain his position as a starter.
Mulenga said working with coach Perry Mutapa and his assistant Masautso Tembo is a blessing for him because the two young coaches are equipped with modern football knowledge.
“For me working with coach Perry and coach Masautso is a blessing because if you look at modern football now, it demands a lot of new things like systems, training programme compared to the old one so as for me I’m happy to work with them.
“And to get back to the ‘Deco’ that you used to see, I just have to train and do extra every day because I believe talent is God-given but I have to work hard,” Mulenga said.
“I have to fight back and I know by Gods’ grace I will fight back, I just can’t lose it like that. The most important thing about my life is that I don’t compare it to anyone. I have my own race that I run so I can’t be comparing because we have different destinies.”
With the government having banned mass gatherings which have affected teams from conducting their daily trainings, Mulenga remains focused to achieving his target of claiming his position at Power Dynamos.
“Yes clubs have stopped training but as an individual I have to be professional and keep myself in shape so what I usually do is to workout at home and sometime I go for road run at the dam in Kitwe,” he said.
Mulenga said there has been an improvement on the level of competition from the local teams, a situation which has made clubs impress at continental level.
“The time I went to South Africa teams were not competing in the CAF champions’ league like now. Now the level of competition has increased and teams like Zanaco and Zesco have been able to compete in the Champions League,” Mulenga said.
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