16/10/2026
THE TRUTH ABOUT ZAMBIAN SPORTS: WE ARE FAILING BECAUSE WE ARE NOT BUILDING FROM THE GROUND
Truth be told, nothing is improving in Zambian sports.
For years we have qualified for major events the Olympics, Junior World Cups, Futsal AFCON, the Women's World Cup, Diamond League Athletics but we have failed to make it past the group stages. We always come home early. It is sad, and no one seems to care enough to ask WHY.
People hold sports indabas and meetings. Views are heard. Reports are written. But nothing really happens after that. It feels like people only take notes, share the allowances, and go home.
Here is the real reason we fail at every sport:
Most athletes in this country grow and develop on their own. They are raised by passionate, committed youth leaders in our communities who have little to no formal training in sports science or coaching. With very little knowledge, they try their best to develop players who eventually go on to represent Zambia.
Then those players go to major tournaments to meet opponents coming from well-structured sports academies athletes with deep knowledge in game understanding, game management, physical conditioning, and theory. We cannot compete with that.
Our sports lack support from the government. The biggest problem is that sport has now been turned into politics. People don't realize that sport is more than just fitness and health. Sport is a tool. It brings people together. It brings peace. It resolves conflict. It keeps young people away from bad and risky activities like smoking, drinking, and crime.
For years, our leaders have failed to see the benefits of sport. People cry about economic hardships and lack of jobs, yet sport creates jobs. Sport brings funding. Sport can change the lives of athletes and their families.
My cry has always been this: Sport is not just for FAZ or for sports federations alone. Sport is for all of us. If as a nation we can improve our facilities, we can control so many social problems early marriages, teenage pregnancies, drug abuse, and more.
Let's stop looking at football and thinking it is only for FAZ. Let's stop thinking athletics is only for ZAAA. Sport is for the nation.
We are living in a time where sport is neglected at youth level, yet we expect good results at senior level. When the team fails to perform, we insult FAZ and demand that they be replaced. But the problem is deeper than FAZ.
What we need is simple:
We need to create a sports center in every community a center where all sports disciplines can be taught and talent can be identified. Centers like OYDC, where kids and youth can go after school to develop their skills and stay busy. This is not work for FAZ or federations alone. This is the work of the Government through the Ministry of Sports.
Let's invest in our own country. If we want to beat Morocco, we need well-trained athletes who truly understand their sport.
Take our Zambia Futsal team. They fail to manage the game just after scoring. Every time we score, the opponent comes back immediately with another goal. Not because we are weak, but because we lack game management skills. That is a skill that does not come from just playing in compounds it comes through theoretical learning and experience.
I feel bad seeing us struggle on live TV. We deserve better. Our story cannot always be "group stage exit". No.
We need better learning facilities. We need basketball courts, netball courts, athletic tracks, cricket pitches. We need chess clubs and many other sports, so that our young people will have plenty to learn from.
It is high time we start living HERE. Not just using our country to make money and planning to live somewhere else. This is our home. We can do so much to build a better home for us and for generations to come.
