Former Zambia captain Christopher Katongo has identified a key reason
behind the sharp decline of Zambian players in South Africa’s Premier Soccer
League (PSL), pointing to a lack of exposure in continental competitions.
Reflecting on a golden era when Zambian stars were PSL mainstays, Katongo
noted that the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations-winning squad featured several
players based in South Africa, including Kennedy Mweene and Collins Mbesuma.
However, that pipeline of talent has since slowed to a trickle.
According to Katongo, the root cause is a failed transition at the national
team level, compounded by the poor performance of Zambian clubs in CAF
tournaments.
“It’s a transition. We did not do the transition well, especially for the
national team,” Katongo stated after the CAF inter-club draws in
Johannesburg. “When you look at the last five or six years, the clubs in
Zambia don’t go to the next round. Those are the things that make it go down
because players are not getting the exposure.”
He highlighted the structural advantage South African clubs enjoy, with four
teams qualifying for CAF competitions compared to only two from Zambia.
“They make sure that four teams participate… We need to do more so that
more teams can participate. It means you are allowing players to be
exposed.”
Looking to the future, Katongo believes his former teammate, Kennedy Mweene,
can play a vital role in reviving Zambian football. Mweene, now the
successful goalkeeper coach at Mamelodi Sundowns, has earned high praise for
his work with Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams.
“Kennedy has been fantastic,” Katongo said. “I think I can support him to be
the national team goalkeeper coach for what he has done for Sundowns and
what he has done for the number one goalkeeper in South Africa.”
