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Emmy Musonda is not the only former sporting icon to miss out on Zambia’s first international tournament. The Chipolopolo are one of only two AFCON winners never to have hosted the senior event. Until today Zambia had never hosted any AFCON. Legends and legends in the making, who were robbed of the careers they should have had were not included as they had hoped to be.

A Sporting Chance of After-care – Zambia filled a gap. It wasn’t just about Musonda, terrible as his plight was. Just over two years ago football united around three young Zambian footballers. While on national team duty a crash left them seriously injured, robbing two of them of their playing careers. Zesco United’s Nyambe Mulenga still hopes to play again, but time is running out for him. Green Eagles’ goalkeeper Satchmo Chakawa came back too soon in 2015. A hip injury related to the crash sidelined the young keeper again. He made a full recovery, returning to action in 2016. Mulenga is still out of football.

Zesco want Mulenga to take another job with them, but he still hopes to play – time ticks on his playing career – he was in Zambia’s AFCON winning squad in 2012, but both are fortunate, if that is the right word, compared to Chipolopolo team-mate, Changwe Kalale of Power Dynamos.

He will certainly never play again. He was paralysed by the accident near Green Restaurant in Kabwe, on December 14th 2014, which resulted in the death of the bus driver and three people in the other vehicle, which had lost control. Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter sent them a message of support at the time, but all three need support and assistance still, especially Kalale.

Priorities
Despite focusing on his task of winning the Under-20 AFCON, Zambia’s coach, Beston Chambeshi, found time to show support, not just to former team-mate Musonda, but to Chakawa, Kalale and Mulenga (see his message here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jubqxUE0z7c&feature=youtu.be).

But Chambeshi has more to add. As with Musonda, Chambeshi believes that these young players still have important gifts to give to football – a treasure trove of football knowledge. See his call for them to be involved in Zambian football here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gos5ozXKRCI&feature=youtu.be).

Chambeshi led his Under-20 Zambia team to glory. They clearly were the team of the tournament. They defeated Thabo Senong’s Bafana Bafana in the semi-final to reach the final. Despite the disappointment, Senong found time to send a message of support to the three young Zambians whose careers were cruelly cut short. See his message here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5JhHJ_ycSA&feature=youtu.be).

Launched

During the recently concluded Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations, Empower-Sport and The Fitted-In Project took A Sporting Chance of After-care to Zambia. We highlighted the cases of Robins Kilambe, Satchmo Chakawa, Changwe Kalale and Nyambe Mulenga, and former Chipolopolo captain Emmy Musonda.

They had been excluded from the tournament. Zambia’s Sports Ministry and FAZ took up our project, and some tickets were provided. The Football and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (FAWUZ) under the auspices of former Chipolopolo attacker, Linos Chalwe, and author of the definitive book on Zambian legend Godfrey Ucar Chitalu, Jerry Muchimba, took up the cause too.

Emmy Musonda’s story is a tough one to hear. He was an elite athlete, at the peak of fitness. He captained his country to third place at the Africa Cup of Nations in 1982, the last time the Black Stars won the tournament, and at the celebration of CAF’s quarter century in Egypt a year later. A decade later Musonda’s playing career with Zambia’s Green Buffaloes (a Zambian Army sponsored team) had ended. He went into coaching. The second job he secured would be his last in football.

An ill advised over-taking manoeuvre resulted in a crash, injuring some players and Musonda. Emmy was badly hurt. Brain-damaged, his fledgling career and ability to support himself, especially through football, was over. Musonda relies on the charity of friends and well-wishers. The accident happened just before the biggest catastrophe ever faced by Zambian football, the Gabon Plane Crash.

A Salutary Tale

Musonda, and his immense football abilities, was lost to football, but he still had a wealth of memories and knowledge. He wants to impart that to young players. A Sporting Chance of After-care – Zambia was adapted. Musonda is an integral part of it. He suffered from diabetes, resulting in his left leg having to be amputated above the knee in 2015.

Zambia, football, especially African football, owes him far better than he has received. He lives in a bad area of Lusaka, one of the few things he received after the crash. Musonda’s medical needs have yet to be met. His metal crutches buckled – he now uses unsuitable wooden ones. We took up his cause last year, and approached FIFPRO, the international organisation for professional footballers. FAWUZ also took up Musonda’s cause. They are working together now.

Inspiration

Emmy Musonda deserves to feel football’s love. Even after all he has been through he wants to give back to football. He will be an integral part of A Sporting Chance of After-care – Zambia by sharing his story to young players and in schools on the need to look after themselves and plan for the future. Emmy Musonda had it all, but through no fault of his own, it was taken away.

Among those to wish the Zambian legend well, and appreciate the legendary defender  is Under-20 team boss and playing colleague, Beston Chambeshi (see his message here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKPLAJNULD0).

Cameroon and South Africa’s equivalent Ashu Cyprian Besong and Thabo Senong also sent him messages of support, as did survivor of the December 2014 crash Nyambe Mulenga. Recently, at the request of A Sporting Chance of After-care – Zambia the Chipolopolo’s coach, Wedson Nyirenda, pledged to invite Musonda and others to be honoured guests of the full Zambian team at National Heroes Stadium.

Former Super-Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyigbeni recently wished Musonda the best, and assured him that African football loves him. Musonda said the best player that he had ever played against was the Egyptian legend on and off the pitch, Mahmoud el Khatib. His message to Emmy can be viewed here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuTrHIitP64