Football legends Kalusha Bwalya, former Dutch international and one-time coach of Barcelona Frank Rijkaard, Arsenal and Nigeria former international Nwankwo Kanu and Dutch under-19 coach and former Dutch international Aron Winter on Thursday rendered their support to the promotion of peace and development.
The quartet participated in a special football tournament for Ambassadors accredited to the United Nations, organized by the Permanent Missions of Zambia and The Netherlands to the UN, to promote peace and development.
At least 30 Permanent Representatives and other diplomats played the game, whiles many others cheered on.
Preceding the tournament, the quartet addressed UN correspondents at a press conference where they emphasised the role of football in promoting peace and development around the world.
The football stars condemned racism in football, and called on FIFA – the world football governing body – “to do more” to penalise the culprits.
The footballers also highlighted the importance of promoting the welfare of children and plight of refugees.
“I think FIFA is doing a lot in anti-racism in football. With the new President, ways will have to be found in which racism will have to be addressed,” said Kalusha, a FIFA Football Committee Member. “FIFA has to take a stronger position against people perpetuating racism.”
On corruption scandals in FIFA, Kalusha expressed confidence that FIFA will regain people’s confidence.
Kalusha said: “FIFA was in the news for the wrong reasons, it’s a major task of the new president Gianni Infantino. I think he is very capable. I am also pleased to see that we have a new [FIFA] Secretary-General from Africa, [Ms.] Fatima [Samba Diouf Samoura], so we expect that we will have moved away from what FIFA has been in the immediate past. It also starts with all of us who have been acting in football [administration], in our respective countries, charity begins at home.
I think we have to bring the honesty, transparency and work as diligently as possible and eventually it will transcend to the very top. Structures are wide; people today talk about FIFA which is the top but everybody is working in different countries. But I feel very confident with the new dispensation with president Gianni Infantino, I feel that we are moving in the right direction and slowly FIFA will regain its confidence from the people.”
Kalusha and his colleagues also participated in a lunchtime seminar titled “sports for peace and development: Practical experiences from the ground” where he talked about Zambian football and how footballers could be used as role models for young boys and girls.
Kalusha said: “Sports knows no colour of skin, race, religion, gender nor status society – it is a unifier of mankind.”
Kalusha also highlighted the importance of implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to transform lives of the people worldwide.
Kalusha said: “As football legends, we want to add our voice that we transform the lives of many of our people around the world out of poverty, and that they have access to clean drinking water, sufficient food, quality education, affordable housing etc. When you need us, we are ready to participate and render our support to these noble causes.”
In an interview with UN Radio, Kalusha said football plays a big role in bringing people together and ensure peaceful co-existence.
“Zambia is one of the most peaceful countries in the world. We have a fantastic leader His Excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of Zambia, he is always at the forefront trying to bring all the different tribes together so that there is only ‘one Zambia one nation’,” said Kalusha.
The legends also held a football clinic for children aged 8-12 years old.
Kalusha, the 1988 African Footballer of the Year, who arrived in New York on Tuesday for a four-day working visit at the invitation of the Permanent Missions of The Netherlands and Zambia to the United Nations, KNVB and Cruyff Foundation, left on Saturday.
The Permanent Missions of Zambia and The Netherlands co-organised the tournament and the press conference. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Photo | Chibaula D. Silwamba | Zambia UN Mission
Ever green Kalu. Keep it up Great K.
All what he says or said were full of wisdom. EXPECT calling Edgar Lungu as fantastic.
Maybe he meant that Edgar is still living in fantasy of being a president on silver platter.
Nostradamus,,, please man
Lungu is a fantastic person to drink with, have you forgotten
Kalu was partying at 40-40 club in NYC.
Inshimbi nishimbi
Chap will do anything to get a Dollar! Even borrow or a “little thin” as he calls it! Anti Corruption Zambia is still waiting for you!
While Kamanga and his bunch of failures using the radar to climp Great Kalu is already on the top. This are surely legends in football.
Now the Galu is praising the new FIFA President, I recall when the corrupt entity was willing to take a bullet for his corrupt grandpa Sepp Blatter!
Just appreciate what he said iwe ka Jay Jay, sometimes you need to learn to appreciate people. Your jealous for kalu ikakwipaya mwana. Meanwhile with your Kamanga Zambian has become useless. Sonta apo wabomba.
Just appreciate what? I am no **** to appreciate football ticket racketing, selling of fake replica jerseys on the black market, corruption in the form of back door FAZ deals in RSA, everything was a secret even the location of the FAZ bus in RSA….there is absolutely absolutely nothing tangible to show for, not even a training complex for the national team.
Good night!!
Sory i meat climbing to the top.
Kalu was voted out by the FAZ members in clean elections, not by kamanga.
His hostility towards the new administration leaves a lot to be desired.
In any case after 10 years at the helm of zambian football, we are still at the bottom of the african pile and have no grassroots football producing stars of today and tomorrow.
Imwe naimwe,let Kalu do whatever,go where ever,nobody cares.He can even organise another tounerment and play it on planet mars if he wants,but the truth is that:crime is crime.The corruption that he adminstered at FAZ for all those years will definitely not and not just dissolve away without charges.His days of day after day in court are jst around the corner.If Sepp Blatter could be cranked,who is Great Galu?He is looking for a job with the UN,and why involve politics at a FIFA event,he mentioned the name Edgar Lungu & Tribalism-this is a pure PF cadre campaigning in America.Let him exhibit himself so that when he is caged very soon,people can easily identify him. Agian another PF cadre under self distraction-hehehehe!
Imwe fyonse kukondema? The fact is that great Kalu has placed Zambia where it is suppose to be as a great footballing nation. Nga imwe ba Redbull finshi mwacitapo achieve that Zambia can benefit from? This is not a plat form for barking!
Isnt this here a campaign message:::”“Zambia is one of the most peaceful countries in the world. We have a fantastic leader His Excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of Zambia, he is always at the forefront trying to bring all the different tribes together so that there is only ‘one Zambia one nation’,” said Kalusha.
There is only 1 and 1 only Zambian President that will ever be praised for our country’s stability of peace and the father of the “one Zambia one nation” motto.You all know who this great man is.So if this dog wanted to praise a Zambian President for fostering peace,he should ve mentioned that name instd,unlike the drunkard he mentioned,of which even fifa itself knows already about the drunkard and his weaknesses.So i guess fifa has ticked that one as an own goal.This people are not fools,they read our news everyday too,they know his story of being sucked as FAZ president already.Wasting his last energies and time-bwahahahahhaha!
If you are great you are indeed great. Viva great Kalu. You have nothing to prove. Let those that need to prove their greatness do so. Kamanga from your beginning of being at the helm football administration made your life difficult but your fighting spirit that kept you score goal for mother Zambia helped you record successes as FAZ President.
We are here to see what the novice Kamanga will achieve. You wanted that position and now you will face the reality of administrating football in Africa. Kamanga has no influence in Africa and he will not be respected by the West and North African football Administrators. Watch this space
What have you got to show for? 10 years on you still dont have a training complex and sponsorship deals for the league are peanuts and an utter joke. You keep boot licking him!!
Good night means good night. It certainly isn’t good morning
Kalu is still great bane..Sonteni epomwabomba.
UN na sonta ati Kalu alibomba….
THIS IS A KANGAROO MEETING ORGANISED BY KALU AND HIS NETHERLANDS CROOKED FRIENDS WITHOUT FIFA SANCTIONING IT, AFTER U ARE DRUNK WITH UR NETHERLANDS FRIENDS THROUGH YOUR WIFE THEN INVITE YOURSELVES TO A KANGAROO MEETING IN USA , the game had no scores? what was the result and did kalu score? Stop such nonsense u are no longer a FAZ administrator hence u have no right to talk about football in zambia, you needed clearance from FAZ to attend this kangaroo meeting even you were individually invited
Why do most Zambians exhibit such hate for anyone who dares to succeed? How do such people inspire their children? I find it shocking! The negativity explains why we have failed to move forward.
Leave Kalu alone, as the bible says, a prophet (or this case, a hero) is never appreciated in his homeland. Let those that appreciate and respect him use him for the noble causes. As for us, we will continue going down the drain, even Swaziland is eliminating us from Tournaments.
And you say you have a coach,see what he said after the match-But coach Aggrey Chiyangi remarked after the game: “They don’t know the pitch and Swaziland are already used to it.”What kind of foolishness is this?especially that it is coming from presumably a coach? It clearly shows you how inexperienced and retarded the coach is.A good coach wud ve selected quality players in the first place,as this was a do or die match.And if a loss occured,he wud say Touch luck or something,and not say”” they new the pitch better than us””that is Mufulira wanderers type of soccer.