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Ben Bamfuchile

June 27th, 2008 Comments off

“He was true to his faith and delivered the results .Ben was an achiever of the highest order”.

 

These were the words of football associaton of zambia (FAZ) president Teddy mulonga describing the late former zambia and Namibia national soccer team coach Ben Bamfuchile who died in kitwe last month.Bamfuchile ,who was known as Ben pabili in his playing days, started his football carreer in 1977 with top side nkana football club.he later became the club’s assistant coach whilst playing in the late 1980’s before becoming the full time coach in 1993.

Bamfuchile’s coaching skills earned him recognition by the football association which appointed him national assistant coach to Ian porterfied in 1993 following the 1993 gabon disaster which claimed the entire zambia nationa soccer team.The team went to the nations cup finals a few months later and went all the way to the cup final but lost the final game of the tournament to the star studded super eagles of Nigeria.

Bamfuchile was later sacked but came back as the team’s head coach in 1999 after the geerman buckhard ziese departed following a spill in the team’s performance.After taking over,Bamfuchile made unprecedented record byb recording a 100% record during the 2000 ghana-nigeria Africa cup qualifiers.The team was undefeated in the six group 6 qualifying games.

 

 

“The association has lost a dedicated professional and a true patriot.One of the memorable moments was in 2000 when he qualified zambia to the nations cup finals without a loss and witrh the highest points in all qualifying groups.” Said Mulonga.However,when the team went to the nations cup,it never recorded any victory as they lost 2-0 to egypty in their opener before drawing 1-all and 2-all against Burkina faso and Senegal in their next games respectivrly.This led to the sacking of the whole technical bench which included the late obyy kapita who was bamfuchile’s assistant.
Bamfuchile then went to south Africa where he had a short stint with amazulu football club before returning home to coach his former club’s rivals and town mates power dynamos in 2001.He won six cups with power dynamos.Bamfuchile was again assigned national duty in 2004 as assistant to kalusha Bwalya before moving to Namibia where he did wonders by qualifying the Namibia national team to their first Africa cup of nations finals appearance since 1998. However , he resigned as the team’s coach due to what he termed “breach of contract promises”.

Bamfuchile had the last breath on this planet on 27th December 2008.He is survived by a wife Tina and six children.

 

Categories: Ben Bamfuchile, Player & Coach Profile

Kennedy Mweene

January 2nd, 2008 Comments off

kennedy mweene

Birthdate:

11.12.1980

Birthplace:

Lusaka, Zambia

Position:

Goalkeeper

Nickname:

Kapa

Appearances:

42

Goals:

Current Club:

Free State Stars(RSA)

Previous Clubs:

Lusaka Celtic,

Kitwe United

Honours:

2006 Cosafa Cup Winner

2006 & 2008 African Cup of Nations-1st Round

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.

Categories: Player & Coach Profile

Robert Earnshaw

December 27th, 2007 8 comments
Date of Birth: 1981-04-06
Place of Birth: Mulfulira, Zambia
Previos Club: Cardif City, Middlesbrough(loan), West Brom Norwich City

Career Details
Current Club: Derby (No 10)
Starts: 3
Position: Forward
Sub On: 10
Sub Off: 2
Goals: 0
Yellow Cards: 0
Red Cards: 0


Earnshaw gets his soccer talent from both his parents – his mother Rita was also a boxer in her native Zambia.

One of the brightest young talents helping restore Wales’s reputation in the soccer world, Earnie was sold by Cardiff City to West Brom for £3m – a record transfer fee paid to a Welsh club.He was eight years old when his family left Africa to settle in Caerphilly, although his father died shortly before they emigrated.Earnshaw’s sporting talent soon attracted the attentions of Cardiff City, who signed him as a YTS trainee aged 16.

He came through the club’s youth development programme and became a full-time professional in August 1998, despite the attentions of his heroes Manchester United.The Zambian Prince made his mark immediately with a superb equaliser at Hartlepool on the opening day of the season.

However, loan spells at Middlesbrough and Greenock Morton suggested his prospects at Ninian Park weren’t entirely rosy.But the experience gave Earnshaw the motivation to succeed and on his return he soon became one of the Bluebird fans’ biggest heroes.

He’d already been capped by Wales at youth and under-21 level, but his exploits in Cardiff City’s promotion campaigns attracted the attention of national coach Mark Hughes.

Earnshaw duly exploded onto the international scene, scoring the winning goal on his debut for Wales against Germany at the Millennium Stadium in May 2002.
He was named man of the match and a few months later was named Young Welsh Footballer of the Year.Since then Earnshaw has become a key member of the Wales squad, staking his claim for a regular slot in the starting line-up with a hat-trick in the 4-0 friendly win over Scotland in February 2004.

Several top clubs including Manchester United, Liverpool and Celtic sent their scouts to check Earnie out as his reputation spread.But it was West Brom who swooped to sign the striker in August 2004 and offer him the chance to play in the Premiership.Earnie was unable to secure a first team place and a transfer to Norwich City sent him back to the Championship.

However, he booked his return to the top flight in summer 2007 by signing for newly-promoted Derby County.

Moment of Glory:
Scoring the winning goal for Wales against Germany on his international debut

Off the Record:
Bluebirds boss Lennie Lawrence had kittens after seeing Earnie risk injury with a somersault after scoring for Wales against Bosnia.

Categories: Player & Coach Profile