The Fitted-In Project – Press Release Launching Flagship Projects (September 5th 2012)
November 7, 2014
Africa Supports Legendary Emmy Musonda Part 1
April 1, 2017
By Satish Sekar © Satish Sekar (March 23rd 2017)
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 and listen to his message here below)
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.
