Bola Dynamics

Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the schedule for the Africa Cup of Nations which will run from 21st December, 2025 to 18th January, 2026 in Morocco.

Zambia who is in Group A alongside hosts Morocco, Mali and Comoros, will kick off the tournament on the 22nd December in Casablanca against Mail and Comoros respectively then will shift base to Rabat to play hosting nation Morocco.

22nd December 2025: Mali v Zambia

26th December 2025: Zambia v Comoros

29th December 2025: Zambia v Morocco

Congratulations to you Barbara Banda for winning the CAF Women's Player of the Year.

RED ARROWS CROWNED CECAFA CUP KINGS

Red Arrows have been crowned the 2024 CECAFA KAGAME CUP Champions after beating Rwandan APR on penalties. Ricky Banda scored in regular time to give Arrows a lead but in the 90+3 minute APR equalised.

The game went to extra time but either teams couldn't find a winning goal in the 30 minutes of extra time and the match was to be decided on post match penalties.

Ikoko Ebengo who missed a penalty in the first half turned out to be a hero as he scored the decisive penalty for the Airmen. APR missed one of their 10 penalties while Arrows converted all their 10 spot kicks. Congratulations Red Arrows...!!

NATIONAL TEAM TRIALS NOT FEASIBLE, SOW IN ACADEMIES AND REAP GOOD PLAYERS

The Football Association yesterday wrote to say that they will conduct "nationwide player selection exercise" which will aim at identifying players who can be incorporated into the national team.

This project comes at the time when the men's national team is not producing results. I feel it is a very short term remedy and it won't solely solve our problems [that's if it will work out]. It won't yield the intended results.

For me it is a very big no for FAZ to conduct trials, let's leave that for clubs and it is not feasible. How will FAZ identify talented players in the most remote area in the country?? I feel this exercise will only be limited to major towns and cities.

The best way this project will reach remote areas, is by engaging school, currently inter-school sports are now being held in different parts of the country, we can use these sports to identify players.

Yesterday, I watched inter-school sports [football] in Ndola, in the morning I was at Yengwe Sec School and in the afternoon I was at Fatima Girls. At least they were 4,5 boys and girls players who I think are capable of playing for the U17, U21 national team.

The other big problem we have, is the collapsed youth football system in the country. Youth football has been neglected and if we really want to sustain the national team, we should go back to youth football.

We have lost interest in grassroot football, there is no interaction between FAZ and schools, academies are on their knees. We know how much of a difference a good academy can bring, to name a few, we had Chiparamba Youth and Edusport, how many national team players came from these academies?? A lot.!!!

We should be looking at long term solutions and the long term solutions are investing in academies, coaches and building infrastructure. FAZ should enhance their relationship with schools, there is so much talent in these schools.

The project at Atletico Lusaka Academy is massive, let's just support them and support other academies which are doing well. We sow in academies, we are guaranteed to reap players for the national team. FAZ has to invest in academies.

Photo credit: FAZ

WE NEED SANITY IN THE LEAGUE COME NEXT SEASON, FAZ HAS TO ACT

The league will kick off in a few weeks time and before it starts there are certain serious issues which have been neglected for long in our league but beg for serious attention. This is the right time to put these vices in order by the football association.

What happened in week 28 fixture between FC MUZA and Nkwazi was quite unfortunate. Even before the game kicked off, there was mayhem. FAZ disciplinary committee came in and dealt with the problems which occurred on the pitch and the perpetrators were fined and points were awarded, I recommend the actions of FAZ DC.

The other occurrences outside the stadium was neglected. Nkwazi claimed that they were denied entry into the stadium and there was a video of Nkwazi players going over the fence to gain entry into the stadium.

Three weeks later in the game between Buffaloes and Nkana, a video of Nkana players accessing the pitch by going over the gate at Imboela stadium was making rounds on social media. Buffaloes claimed that Nkana players were avoiding inspection from the dressing room.

During this game, I was in the stands, Nkana used the bus to change for their warmup, after warming up they changed their attire in the bus. At half time, team talk was held in the bus. For those who watch football from the stadium will agree with me that this isn't strange, we have seen several teams using the bus as the dressing room.

These are just a few of the many examples. I understand that these are mind games but at the end of it all, these mind games should not compromise the integrity of the game nor the quality of football nor show disrespect to opponents.

It's now time things should be put in order and tamed. In this age, we can't have players jumping or going over the gate to enter the stadium, it is a hazard for these players. Teams refusing to use the dress rooms for whatever reasons. Other players go as far as urinating in dress rooms, it's quite disappointing and unsanitary.

The levels of unsportsmanlike behavior is just way too much, FAZ needs to come in and bring to an end these vices. There should be sanity and order in the league, here are some of the solutions to these problems.

1. TIME FOR OPENING OF GATES

On this one the home team is the major culprit. This is straight forward; on match day, if the game is starting at 13 hours, gates should be opened at 11 hours and if the game is at 15 hours, at 13 hours gates should be opened.

FAZ needs to be strict on this, a heavy punishment or heft fine should be attached in case the home team fails to open gates on time. Players put their health at risk when they jump the gate, they can easily injure themselves so to safeguard their health, any player/team who goes over the gate or fence, that team should face punishment/fine.

2. DRESSING ROOM

To encourage players/teams to use dressing rooms [easterners would say chilango (punishment) chapadela] should be set aside for all teams that do not want to use the dressing rooms.

We shouldn't be talking about urinating in dressing rooms, if found guilty, the punishment should be severe. I think punishment in form of suspension, points deductions and fines are the only way we can promote sanity in the league.

BREAKING...!! Red Arrows have been given a go ahead to use Heroes Stadium. CAF has approved Heroes stadium for preliminaries of the CAF inter-clubs, the other stadium approved is Levy Mwanawasa stadium in Ndola.

Heroes stadium is undergoing some rehabilitation work, with plans to change the playing surface and the dugouts.

RED ARROWS COACH HAPPY WITH A TRICKY AND FAIR BIG BULLETS CCL DRAW

Red Arrows Coach Chisi Mbewe has reacted to being drawn against Nyasa Big Bullets of Malawi in the CAF Champion League and has described the draw as been tricky and fair. Before playing the reverse fixture in Lusaka, Arrows will travel to Malawi for the first leg in September.

Speaking to the clubs media team, Chisi Mbewe said, "A fair and tricky draw for us, we are happy about the draws. The most important thing for us is to ensure that we prepare adequately and ensure that we are ready for Nyasa Bullets."

"[Nyasa Big Bullets] is a good side, well motivated and well sponsored team. I think like I mentioned for us it is an interesting and fair draw for us, otherwise we will try to search more about Nyasa Bullets."

And when he was asked whether this draw will make him intensify or change the approach in the preparations towards the match, he said, "for us we have always been preparing adequately regardless whom we have been drawn with because we know that the level at which we are competing at its a high level so the most important thing is to prepare adequately and face who ever we have been drawn with."

Coach Mbewe has also called on fans to remain grounded and asked for their support, "to our fans as always, we will really need their support in this league. They have always been there for us, to support us in good and bad situations, we can even assure them that we will do our level best as a team, we want to fight and reach the group stage which we know that it won't be easy."

Racheal Kundananji writes;

"10th of July marked the incredible launch of the Racheal Kundananji Legacy Foundation! As the 04 founder, I am beyond honored to stand before you all and share this moment."

"This foundation is dedicated to empowering young athletes and transforming communities across Southern Africa. Football is more than a sport; it's a unifying force for change."

"Together, let's build a legacy of diversity, equality, and opportunity. Thank you to everyone who has supported this journey."

BIG BULLETS COACH REACTS TO BEEN DRAWN AGAINST RED ARROWS IN CCL

Nyasa Big Bullets coach Kalisto Pasuwa has reacted after being drawn against Zambia Super League champions Red Arrows in the CAF Champions League second round of the preliminaries.

Big Bullets are regarded as the most successful club in Malawian football history, having won the Super League a record 17 times. The club has made 7 appearances in the CAF Champions League and the furthest they have gone is the group stage.

Speaking to the club's media, Pasuwa said, "We have been playing in Champions League and I think we have learnt a lot of lessons where we need to solve those problems first because if we don’t solve them, we will end up doing the same issues and if you can see the route that we are going ,it is the same route that we took last time where we played a team from Equatorial Guinea [Dragon FC] then TP Mazembe [from DRC]."

“If we manage to go past Red Arrows, we will go against TP Mazembe, so, we need to prepare well for us to do good. Any small mistake that you make in the Champions League, you are punished and if you saw our last game in this competition [against TP Mazembe], we conceded inside the first 20 minutes and after conceding, the boys played excellent football."

“We need to work on these areas to say what is it that makes us lose concentration in the early stages of the game, but these are mind games that we also need to be very careful with and at this level, no mistakes."

And when he was asked if playing the first game at home will give them an upper hand, he responded, “We just need to be ready for these games. Prepare ourselves to play away or at home. Yes, we would have loved to first start away from home and then play the second leg at home but again that's how the draw is, we just need to prepare and avoid mistakes so that we go past these teams.”

By Osward Hamanyuma Jnr

Photo credit: Nyasa Big Bullets

CHITETE WHO WAS RULED OUT WITH AN INJURY, ALL OF THE SUDDEN IS NOW FIT FOR THE OLYMPICS

Esther Chitete Munsaka was pictured attending the National Olympic Committee of Zambia (NOCZ) Paris 2024 Olympics athletes sending off party in Lusaka last evening.

Three days ago, during his press briefing, coach Mwape had categorically ruled out Chitete and he said “All the players were just okay until goalkeeper Chitete Munsaka sustained an injury in training.

He continued, "The report I got from the doctor was very discouraging and they indicated that she will not be able to travel with the team. We have therefore recalled Eunice Sakala."

Photo credit: NOCZ

DIVINE INTERVENTION IS THE ONLY THING THAT WILL SAVE MUNTONDO STARS

The race for survival is really getting heated in the Super League, this week's fixtures are so crucial for all relegation threatened teams.

All teams are in search for results but Mutondo Stars has mount Kilimanjaro peak to climb for them to survive relegation, a date with ZANACO and Red Arrows isn't easy.

I feel Mutondo Stars will join Kansanshi Dynamos, Prison Leopard and Trident in the National Division.

Here are the remaining fixtures for relegation threatened team;

Forest Rangers - Green Buffaloes (A) Kansanshi (H)

Green Buffaloes - Forest Rangers (H) Trident (A)

NAPSA Stars - Konkola (A) Power Dynamos (H)

Mutondo - ZANACO (A) Red Arrows (H)

Up to now am still hitting my head trying to understand why ZESCO United loaned out Vincent Oburu to NAPSA Stars. They need to recall him.