A preparatory camp for the Zambia national soccer team has been identified should the Chipolopolo boys qualify to the 2014 world cup tournament in Brazil.
Youth and Sport minister Chishimba Kambwili said the national soccer team will camp in Cuba before going to Brazil should it qualify for the world cup championships next year.
Kambwili said this in Havana, Cuba yesterday when he visited the Mario Lopez Alfonso national football school on his continued bilateral visit to that country.
Kambwili described the Mario Lopez Alfonso national football school as the best place for the Chipolopolo team to camp at.
This is because the football school is designed to offer expertise in sport psychology, technical and physical preparation to players in readiness for competitive tournaments such as the world cup.
“Should we qualify to the world cup next year, we will send our national team to come and camp here and interact with football scientists and psychologists. Cuba is near to Brazil so they will camp here to acclimatize,” he said.
Kambwili disclosed that his visit to Cuba was an eye-opener to government in terms of sports management and development.
He observed that Zambia’s dismal performance at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) championships in South Africa was largely due to lack of psychological fitness on the part of players and not the lack of talent.
The minister noted that Zambia has a lot of talent in football hence making it a great foot-balling nation.
Kambwili however said there was need to combine talent with academic knowledge of football in order for the country to match European and South America standards .
He further said football should be integrated as a subject in Zambia’s education system so as to produce great footballers in the country.
Kambwili said there was also need for the national teams to start preparing well before a tournament, a strategy adopted by Cuba.
Kambwili, his Permanent Secretary Agnes Musunga, National sports Council of Zambia (NSCZ) chairman Chifumu Banda, parliamentary committee on youth affairs and sport chairperson Levy Ngoma and other senior government officials are in Cuba to visit sport training schools and learn about its management.
They were invited by the Cuba Institute of Sports and Recreation to revitalize the sport cooperation agreement which Zambia and Cuba signed in 2007.
And NSCZ chairman, Chifumu Banda was impressed that Cuba has schools offering professional education in football, basketball, volleyball and many other sports disciplines.
Mr. Banda said this was an important approach towards sports development in a country.
Meanwhile, Director of the Mario Lopez Alfonso national football school, Riamundo Hernandez said his institution was ready to offer assistance to Zambia.
Hernandez said Cuba and Zambia were ‘sister’ countries because they have a lot in common hence his institution would be willing to render any assistance the country would ask for.
ZANIS
Even better coz great Galu would have taken the camp to Südafrika
that will be great for the improvement of games(sport) in Zambia, Mr minister we thank you.
Hey am from Kenya and we share the same name, that is wonderful
Has CUBA qualified to the world cup before????
Lets not get carried away, cuba is not a footballing nation. Minister this is crazy!!!!
”academic knowledge of football” I like this and should be enhanced by improving intellectual capacity because modern football is a combination of art, maths and science e.g quick decision making is highly required ( whether to shoot at goal or pass), force to apply on the ball determined by distance estimation and prevailing force of gravity,angle measurement, average height and weight of opponents to determine whether to use shot passes/long passes and whether to play aerial or ground passes etc. This is what our players lack and minimum education of lest say grade twelve or nine is required to understand these things
Sounds like we need to plan for similar facilities and skill base locally so future players have greater access to things that aid their progress. Not only in football but across sport. There is a visible niche in developmental support in arts and sciences too.
That is a good move mr minister, psychology plays a very big role in all sports, cuba may not have qualified to the world cup simply because it is not a great footballing nation like Zambia.What we want is the facilities and services. Wish kalu was part of the deligation
Good move but this is puting more pressure on the boys for qualification when we can’t even beat Lesotho. Cuba is good but Brazil also has a lot of good stadia and facilities so let’s not discount others.
I hope we won’t acquire a Cuban national as our next football coach.By the way any news if this P.E teachee has resigned?
Truth be told, Hon Chishimba Kambwili appears to be more concerned with issues concerning development than cheap politiking. I wish others like Wynter Kabimba, Sylvia Masebo, Obvious Mwaliteta and Edgar Lungu can take a leaf from their colleague instead of engaging in dirty political schemes all the time that are of no benefit to the common man. I have followed Hon Kambwili’s performance ever since he became Sports Minister and have been impressed with his vision for sport in this country.
Am trying not to get too excited as has been the case in the past even if it’s just a precaution, otherwise, am keeping my vingers crossed, it would be so NICE to qualify even if we would be booted out in the first round just that exciment of qualifying would be an achievement, cos so far we havent featured, the last time i was a child in 1988, if am not mistaken, i only remeber 4-0 against Italia,which am now proud of as an adult, wouldnt be bad to kick some ***** again, “i wish”!
MR HONOURABLE SIR, YOU ARE A MAN. IF WE CAN HAVE ATLEAST 10 MEN OF YOUR CALIBRE ZAMBIA CAN REALLY DEVELOP FAST. ALL THE BEST MR KAMBWILI.
Yes Cuba is good for the boys, food is good, weather is good, women ni mbwee. Almost everything is free, except internet. They will not be able to read LT.
good move mr kabwili..i think its a motivetion to the team.
Any Cuban football players in Barca, Man U, Bayern, Real Madrid, chelsea, Orlando Pirates…………………….?. a big doubt, Has cuba been to the world cup in the last 30 years? Talk about other sport disciplines not football!!!!
KAMBWILI IS FAST FORWARD THINKING. HE IS REALLY A WORKING MINISTER.
Only people that have never been to Cuba will support this nonsesnse! People please travel,exposure is important
CART BEFORE THE HORSE BWANA !
Instead of thinking of innovative ways to replicate such systems and training back at home he is busy “creatively” thinking of ways of wasting taxpayers money in Cuba. Why should everything be about football; Cuba is not even a footballing nation in fact it is renowned in sports disciplines such as boxing and field disciplines we have been under-performing at international level.
I’m always amazed when bloggers call some ministers “hard working” there is absolutely nothing to it..the individual is doing what he/she is paid to do of course courtesy of you the tax payer just like a police officer is paid to arrest offenders.
Muletasha bane…….
Can you re-read his statement,
“Kambwili however said there was need to combine talent with academic knowledge of football in order for the country to match European and South America standards .
He further said football should be integrated as a subject in Zambia’s education system so as to produce great footballers in the country.”
Meaning we are not going there to play cuba we are going there to sate our mind as we already have unguided skill which can now be guided and be focused.
Limo mwatashako mwe ma fans kano fye South Africa kwena ekwaba abateya mu Man U Na barcelona………..alweni iine ndelolesha fye……….
Wishful thinking. Not with the current crop of players especially the Captain. There is no tribalism in this assessment. Just calling a spade a spade.
Kambwili is wasting time securing this camp. I hope he doesn’t want a kickback. When a nation qualifies to the finals they receive plenty of money from FIFA for their preparations so they wont even need to go to Cuba. Cuba is known for its high quality boxers-as for soccer Zambia would be better off in SA than in Cuba. SA has some of the best sports academies like the ones used by the Springboks and Bafana. However, knowing Kalu they would go to Holland for camp.
Let us support the Minister not only in soccer,but in all sport.What i can see is that he is trying to give every youth something to do in sport.Locality does not mater,but equipment maters and encouragement.There is more to it bane,at the end all iam saying all will be catered for.Asports minded Nation is a health Nation