Thu, 12 Jan 2017 11:54:50 +0000
…AS ROW OVER HIS CAF VOTES AGAINST KALABA RAGES ON
By Michael Miyoba
KALUSHA Bwalya’s failure to vote for Rainford Kalaba in the race for the CAF award for the Best Player based in Africa has continued to receive mixed reactions, with some soccer fans in Lusaka labelling the soccer icon and former FAZ president a ‘‘traitor’’.
Some fans talked to by the Daily Nation said the action by the former FAZ boss showed how ‘‘unsupportive we are as Zambians’’.
Solomon Muleya stated that Bwalya’s action should be condemned by all well-meaning Zambians as it had the potential to cause havoc.
“What Ba Kalu did shocked me as an individual because as a Zambian, I expected him to give the five votes to his fellow Zambian (Kalaba),” Muleya said.
He noted that as Zambians there was need to show patriotism to each other despite the positions others may hold in society.
And Joseph Nyoni, a bus driver at Lusaka’s Kulima Tower bus station, called Bwalya a traitor for not backing Kalaba, the Chipolopolo skipper, for the award.
He stated that being countrymen, Bwalya should have given the Zambia national team skipper the five votes based on how he performed for his club as he was the top scorer for TP Mazembe.
“For me I wouldn’t have voted for Kalaba just because he is a Zambian but because of how he performed for his club TP Mazembe as he helped them win the CAF Confederations Cup and was top scorer,” he said.
“Yes, Onyango and Biliati helped their team (Mamelodi Sundowns) to win the CAF Champions League and participated at the Club World Cup but when you compare the performance of the three, Kalaba’s performance was far better than the two,” Nyoni added.
But Damiano Mutale, a FAZ councillor who is also owner of Damiano Accademy, called on people criticising Kalusha to stop as they did not understand football matters.
Mutale noted that as a member of the CAF executive committee, Bwalya had a right to vote for whoever he felt deserved the award.
“Those people saying negative things about Kalu should stop condemning the guy as they do not understand football. Kalu is a legend and he is well known across the African continent. Yes, he is Zambian but he is also an African who is respected in all the African countries,” he said.
“People should not forget that Kalu is the only player to have won the African Footballer of the Year award in the whole of Southern Africa and he is also the only AfCON winning FAZ president. He understands football better and deserves to be treated with respect,” he added.
According to details disclosed by the Confederation of African Football, Kalusha gave his first vote worth five points to Zimbabwean Khama Biliati, four points to eventual winner Denis Onyango with Kalaba receiving three votes.
