Jacob signs for Dutch side
- Saturday, May 30, 2009, 11:29
- Latest News
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- 87 comments
And the 25 year old ended his four year stint in France at ligue 2 side Berrichonne Chateauroux on a high after he helped them avoid relegation on Friday as the gangling striker scored in Berri’s 2-1 win to end the season on position 15. Mulenga took his tally to 10 goals in 28 appearances in the league plus 2 goals he scored in the cup competitions.
According to the Dutch side’s official website, Jacob watched FC Utrecht’s 1-4 loss to FC Groningen in midweek in a Europa playoff.
“My ambition is to help Utrecht achieve greater heights next season,” the ex-Afrisport forward told the club website.
“From what I saw against Groningen, the game level is high and the atmosphere is fantastic. And after reading the club’s ambitions I understood where the club wants to finish next season,” the 1.86 m tall striker added.
Mulenga who was Chatearoux leading scorer this campaign said he had enjoyed his time with the French club and looked forward to new challenges.
‘’I have been in France for four years and I feel I need big things in my career. My move is good for me and for my country.
FC Utrecht are the only side outside the traditional top three of Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV that have never been relegated from the Eredivision Dutch top flight. They also hold the honour apart from the three giants to have won the Johan Cyruff Cup. FC Utrecht have also won the KNBV (FA Cup) three times.
They are the only side apart from AZ Alkmaar, the recenctly crowned champions of the Eredivision, to be wholly investor owned. The Ton du Chatnier tutored side finished 9th in the just ended 18 team Dutch league campaign and narrowly missed out on a Europa League place when they lost to FC Groningen in the play offs.
And the struggling French Ligue two side who escaped relegation by Mulenga ’s rescue act have reportedly released Stophira Sunzu after he failed to play a single game due to persistent injuries. Felix Katongo who only mangaged to play five games is scheduled to return to Rennes following the expiry of his one year loan deal.
Meanwhile, Isaac Chansa is reportedly doubtful for the Rwanda June 6 clash after picking up a knock on Wednesday during a league game with his Helsinbgorgs IF team.
At the training camp in South Africa, Zambia beat the Orlando Pirates Academy side 5-0 with goals from Given ‘Freedom’ Singuluma (brace), Collins Mbesuma, Jonas Sakuwaha and Fwayo Tembo.
Portugal based midfielder Rainford Kalaba also took part in the training game against the Buccaneers reserve side after he joined the squad on Friday.
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Good for Jacob, am sure he’s going to make it in the Dutch Top League with the experience that he has gained during his spell in France. The Ducth League is a stepping stone for him and it is equally a competitive league.
It just calls for hardwork,so that teams like psv can recognise him,not just playing but also impresing both your coach & oponents coaches,,
Wow!! This is good news;which would explain why he stopped featuring for his side towards the end of the season,am sure the coaching team wanted to nature some1 else in his place…atleast some wonderful news for a change in terms of player transfers!!!!!
This is good and exciting for Jacob. I’m preety sure he will make it with hard work. After all his work rate is great.
He can only become a better player after this deal.
Jacob continue working hard so that you can find yourself with a good European Team IN FUTURE. Go Jacob you can do it.
AS FOR ZAMBIA POOR FRIENDLIES WHEN ARE WE GOING TO STOP?
Hi,
I’m a FC Utrecht-follower and therefore I aks you what kind of player Jacob is? I know he is strong, fast and a hard worker but is he a rightwinger or more a lone-striker etc.?
Am not surprised on mulenga’s promotion to a top Dutch club. The boy is royal, cool, and obdient to all. God bless you Jacob.Score more in Rwanda match.Bravo!
Thats gud news 4 jacob,i knw that club to well and hope he wil use it as a stepping stone to much bigger teams.
Jacob is a strong target man similar to Drogba though occasaionaly he has played as a right winger for both country and club especially during his stay at Racing Strasbourg last season (2007/08).
Good luck Jaco!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@Wim
Wim who is Utrecht best player at the moment and how many foreign players does the club have? But i can tell you Jacob is a good player strong on the ball,good height and his work rate is very good. His full of runing.
I am shocked and happy
i guess this is Jacob Mulenga’s big chance to become the next big thing. Drogba is ageing. This could be Mulenga’s big chance to become a top striker in Europe. My only worry is that Mulenga needs to improve his strike rate. He needs to be more ruthless in goal. He has to find that clinical finish that can enable him destroy teams. Jacob rarely scores more than a goal in a game. He needs to work on that.
don’t be surprised if zambia qualifies to the world cup. We have some very highly rated players. Here are some of them:
Emmanuel Mbola- Believed to be the next Roberto Carlos in African Football. Is already doing well in the armenian top flight
Kennedy Mwene- Rated as the best goal keeper in th PSL which is the most organised league in Africa. This short and yet agile keeper made some breathtaking saves against Egypt in Cairo.
Given Singuluma- Top goal scorer at the CHAN this lethal finisher is capable of anything.
Rainford Kalaba- The diamond of Gil-Vicente’s midfield. He is set to return to BRAGA’s first team after some amazing performances.
Chris Katongo- He may have been relegated with his team but he is one of the most higy rated attacking midfielders on the continent.
Collins Mbesuma- May have lost his touch but he is still very cpable of regaing form. He may well score the goals that will take Zambia to the world cup.
Cliffold Mulenga-The former young african footballer of the year is on the fringes of natinal selection but his ability is undoubtable.Once selected as being among the top 100 young footballers on the planet he may soon force himsef back into the squad.
Felix Katngo- Will return to rennes after an unsuccesful spell at chateroux. However, this higly rated midfileder may well find
himself at a top club in Europe or Egypt if he performs well with Zambia
am very happy to hear this good news,jacob really deserves this.i hope this insiupres the other players playing in lower division leagues.felicitations mon frére!!!!!
Great news. Patience pays and all the best; “noti ukubutukila kuli ba TP Mazembe.
Good for Jacob and Country. We are finally seeing our players move from their point of entry in Europe to better clubs. Chris Katongo did it by moving to a better league and now Jacob has moved from a second division to a first division team. As a nation, we have not looked better than this in a long time. We will wire Rwanda, terminate Algeria and mummify the pharaos. SA here we come .
MY starting 11 for next week…
——————————Mweene————————————-
Lungu/Musonda———-Nyambe——–D.Banda——————Emma Mbola
——————————Kasonde——————————-
—–Chris————————————————-Felix
—————————–Kalaba————————-
—————-Given—————–Jacob————–
Prediction:
3-0
would have loved to see Isaac Chansa in the starting line-up too but the injury might keep out
I’m really sorry to hear that Jimmy Chisenga is out of the game. It means that we might have to endure Joseph Musonda… again. I think I would rather we push Nyambe to right back and bring H.H. into the centre of defence.
Well done to Jacob, he’s reaping the fruit of tireless work.
this is what we want ,go zambia Go!! SA here we come!
@Cho
All right except for Mbeusma and Clifford
Isaac is not injured, but has started to play games
yes we shall win
Whisper i would definitely push Nyambe to right back and have H.H in the centre of defence. Joseph Musonda prone to penalties sana umu boys.
I feel H.R needs to find a place for Fwayo in the team or atleast give him more game time if comes in as a sub not just 15 minutes. Fwayo will keep any defence busy when on form. The boy plays in an arabic league he would understand the psychology of the Algerians better.
Cho,
i agree with you on Jacob. Jacob’s strike rate cannot be compared to that of Drogdba, infact he is nowehere near Drogba in terms of scoring. This is one shortcoming of Mulenga that makes me rate him as an average player.
Those players you have mentioned, the clifford, mbesuma, felix, etc, are good yes but I would urge you to dilute your optimism about the future. Our players tend to remain static in terms of progression. Since the days of Kalu, no Zambian player has really progressed and captured the imagination of the world. Players who seem promising, simply wizzle off in thin air when they are “26″. Remember Canada 2007, a number of countries who partcipated have seen their players progress to good leagues and even biggger clubs like the Spanish player Pique who plays for Barcelona. For Zambian players, nothing from the Canada 2007 and it is more than two years now. Clifford was seemingly a star at Canada 2007, but is playing for a team being relegated from the PSL in South Africa, whilst his fellow stars of Canada, such as Pato and Pique, are in major teams in europe.
From Chan, all Singuluma could do is sign for TP Mazembe, when is he going to play for a big club? Rainford Kalaba had a one year stint at Nice but could not impress came back and now he is in Portugal and loaned to a div II side, hope he can go back to Braga and hold a place. At his age, 25 or so, he should have now been a household name, considering his skill. We are seeing a lot of West Africans, some of not excptional skill, featuring in all the major leagues of europe.
I agree with you. I think Fwayo should actually start upfront with Jacob Mulenga. Kalaba should command the modfield while Nyambe or Zimba should move to the right to pave way for HH. Mbola and Mweene are sure starters, Kasonde and Chivuta should anker the midfield. Mbesuma should be in the stands. New blood please
I think our best player is a player we bought at the same time as Mulenga. That’s Ricky van Wolfswinkel, he is a striker that costed 3 million euro. The best player last year was Michael Silberbauer, a Danish midfielder who came over last season from FC Kopenhagen. We have a lot of Belgium players, two from Denmark, one from Romania, one from Guadelope and Dickoh from Ghana. I think Jacob is going to play up front in a 4-4-2 system. Or maybe sometimes as a rightwinger in a 4-4-2 because we don’t have a lot of good rightwingers but we do have 3 good strikers.
Everyone thanks for the answers! I hope Mulenga will fit with FC Utrecht. The expectations are good because both like hard working and attacking football!
@Wim
Thanks Wim.
Wim, no right wingers?? Two words for you. Jonas Sakuwaha.
Guys, I simply don’t understand why Joseph Musonda is anywhere near the national team. The chap gives away a penalty eveytime he plays against arabs. He was lucky not to have been penalised against Egypt in Cairo.
Its New look for Zambia!!.Wow!!!,i cant just believe this,Jacob in Holland?.This should set as a very good example to players like Felix & Nsunzu that,when given an opportunity to showcase your skills in Europe,do it with all your heart & abilities coz it pays!.I can see Justin Zulu moving so soon,& Kalaba,Mbola too.Hey Guys!,we have really Beautiful squard that can surely bring us ‘the Scudetto’.
With all due respect, all the players injured are not regulars-Jimmy was not in Cairo, Chintu came in late as a sub and Isaac was not in Cairo. I don’t think injuries will affect the team besides thats why we have 23 players in the team-Barcelona showed against Man U. But we must not underrate Rwanda for them to come this far means they are a good team.
Justice you say Isaac was injured but he is now playing. Please elaborate, does it mean he is snubbing Zambia?
all the best zambia and good luck jacob!!!
you go Jacob!so happy for you-keep playing your game and shine wherever you go:-)