January 2, 2008
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kennedy mweene
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Kennedy Mweene is a Zambian international football goalkeeper who is currently contracted to South African Premier Soccer league (PSL) football club Free State Stars. His role model is Zambia’s first President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and former France and Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Bathez is his favaourite player.
Mweene has previously played for Lusaka Celtic and Kitwe United; both clubs have been demoted to Zambia’s Division one league.
In 2005, the acrobatic goalkeeper found himself on the books of Free State Stars in the Rand rich South African PSL.
In his first season abroad, the shot stopper had a mixed season as he was in and out of the starting XI and sadly by the end of the season his club got demoted to Mvela Golden League. His club’s disguise was to be Mweene’s blessing as the Lusaka born was installed the first choice goalkeeper after the departure of the other goalkeeper.
Mweene was one of the three Zambians (Clive Hachilensa and Joseph Musonda) at Free State Stars and by the end of the season Stars were back in PSL after being crowned champions. In his second spell in the PSL, Mweene has been one of the top performers in the league as he helped his club to fifth place and ahead of PSL giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
Mweene started out as a striker for an amateur side called State House and rumour has it that he won the golden boot award and best goalkeeper at a tri-nations Coca Cola schools tournament involving hosts Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia while representing Zambia as a school boy international.
Mweene went on to represent Zambia at Under-20 level and he won the Vodacom Cosafa U-20 cup.
While at Kitwe United, Mweene made some stunning saves and he started receiving some rave views. The then technical director Kalusha Bwalya for the senior team called him and he became an understudy to first choice Kalililo Kakonje.
But Mweene was not content with being number two as he waited for his chance to come.
Mweene made his international debut in a rare home 2-0 defeat to Malawi in May 2004. After first choice Kakonje was ruled out through injury, Mweene was named in the starting line up for the first time, a year after making his international debut. But Mweene made two schoolboy mistakes to allow Congo back into the game after a 3-0 lead courtesy of Mpatamatu born and bred Collins Mbesuma’s hatrick. Zambia won 3-2.
The Lusaka- born was again confined to the bench after Kakonje recovered but after Zambia lost 4-1 Togo, Mweene took over as first choice goalkeeper and established himself.
One of his low career moments was when he surprisingly lost his first choice status at the 2004 MTN African Cup of Nations to George Kolala but returned to the starting lineup in the final group match against Bafana Bafana.
When Patrick Phiri replaced Kalusha as the coach, Kolala was again given the nod ahead of Mweene, but after a goalkeeping error by Kolala in a COSAFA match against Botswana, he was replaced by the acrobatic Mweene in the first half.
From that time, Mweene has seized the opportunity as he is now the undisputed first choice both for club and country.
Mweene has just conceded more than two goals in a single match for Zambia on three occasion; debut match against Malawi (2-0 loss), win 3-2 over Congo (2005) and recently in a 4-1 loss to Spain Andulicia select side (27th December,2007) and Cameroon’s 5-1 bashing.
The shot stopper alongside Felix Katongo and Joseph Musonda was the only members of the Chipolopolo Boys to play every minute of the group stages matches at the Ghana 2006 African Cup of Nations..
After a 24 months absence from the Chipolopolo set up, Kakonje is back in the framework to battle it out against Mweene as both goalkeepers are integral members to Chipolopolo Boys’ Herve Renard’s plans.
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