AS NEW MONZE SWALLOWS MAKE PREPARATIONS FOR THE 2018 SUPER LEAGUE
The 2017 Christmas has once again visited us. And its the season of merry making and at the same time doing some reflections.
This past Friday had the honour and privilege to get an on the spot feel though brief of the goings at the newly promoted side Monze Swallows. This was during a long trip to the tourist town of Livingston for the Livingstone Sports Awards.
The stopover in Monze at the Harry Mwanga Nkumbula Stadium was an eye opener and created an angle for scrutiny.
Monze Manucipality is on the ground to bring the much needed life to the stadium. Readying it up for inspection and in the hope that it can be sanctioned to host the demanding top flight football.
In the meantime, Swallows are hard on the job conducting trials in an open set as they try to build a competitive side in the new and brutal haven of Premiership Football.
I took photos of the team and the ground. And after posting the first reaction of what I saw from the perspective of people is that New Monze Swallows won’t manage to play super league because they can’t be having trials today, their pitch is like a grazing field and might not be ready. They will be relegated even before they kick the first ball. That’s a reaction.
But that obviously is not the case. A team can not just be demoted just like that. While the Indication says so, each team should be given a chance to show their credibility.
So then, do people know we have zones were one team qualifies to play super league?
What is visible on the photo is clear indication of the reality in the zones of Zambian football.
So whichever team qualifies to play super league goes through a very similar situation in terms of infrastructure.
There are very few teams in the zones that will have good infrastructure . Examples of the demoted but still have infrastructure of good standards like Mufulira Wanderers, Konkola Blades etc.
The best stadiums in zone four is in Choma and Mazabuka and if you have been to the two stadiums of Independence and Nakambala then you Should understand the situation we find ourselves into.
If we today are saying New Monze Swallows can not play because of the pitch, then am wondering why teams in zone four should continue playing for promotion because this will always be the situation they will find themselves into.
It’s not only zone four but the rest of the zones needless to say the only zone that has standard infrastructure is zone two and mostly are those on the Copperbelt.
Instead of demonising the teams, what we should be bringing are solutions to the teams on what they can do to hasten the process on route of having a standard ground that befits super league status.
It happened with Real Nakonde and it happened with Lumwana. Let’s give New Monze Swallows support so they can bring their infrastructure to some semblance befitting top flight football.
Meanwhile the people of Monze should be excited to have met the FAZ President (Andrew Kamanga) as he went to see the progress being made. The encouragement is that Kamanga also sees need for the team to play their home games in the town of Monze. The FAZ President has pledged support to New Monze Swallows as they prepare for the 2018 soccer season.
Time for the people of Monze to get together and make Harry Mwanga Nkumbula stadium worthy of Super League Football.
