Archive for February 11th, 2009

In the last few weeks local mining companies on the Copperbelt have withdrawn their sponsorship to clubs citing the global credit crunch as the reason. Giants and league sponsors Konkola Copper Mine have cut it's annual package for the league from K1 Billion Kwacha to half while Mopani and Luanshya Copper Mine have pulled out sponsoring Nkana, Mufulira Wanderers and Roan United. But the shock of this çredit crunch' is that Zambia has dropped sixteen places on the Coca Cola/FIFA World ranking and is now placed 92 on the World stage and for fisrt time in over 15 years the 'Rubber Bullets' are outside the top 20 on the continental ranking sitting on position 24. This is Zambia's worst ever ranking. Full story

Under-pressure Chipolopolo Boys trainer Herve Renard unveiled his 23-man squad for the inaugral CHAN tournament which starts on February 22 in Ivory Coast. And there was no places for the quintruple of Lottie Phiri, Kondwani Mtonga, Nicholas Zulu (the trio have been dropped), Hichani Himonde (lack of match fitness-after recovering from injury) and Maunga Kabuku (injured). The five were part of the Cecafa Cup that was eliminated in the group stage early this year. Full story

Zambia's export to Tunisia Fwayo 'The Galactico' Tembo has been 'sent back' to Etoile Sportive du Sahel reserve team or team 'B' after the club acquired two South American players and the return of highly rated Ghanian under-20 international Sadat Bukhari from injury. While the Zambian teenage was looking to be making steady progress as he was enjoying his first team action thanks to the injury of Bukhari and the departure of Tunisian play maker Amine Chermiti to Germany's Bundesliga, Fwayo's relegation will come as a surprise to many Zambian fans who thought the 2007 African Youth Cup top scorer has finally made his breakthrough in the star studded first team. Full story