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Football is amongst a few sports
disciplines that many Zambians enjoy to watch. When the national team is on
duty, business around the country come to a standstill with many trooping to
the stadium to watch the match live while others rush home to watch it on
television.
“There has been a resurgence in Zambian
football since winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012. This win reignited
the passion for the local game which had been in decline since the late 1990s,"
said Ponga Liwewe, who is former Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) General Secretary.
“More recently, success in winning the
2017 U20 Africa Cup has seen crowd rise to new heights. The heightened passion
for football has given the game a huge boost."
The popularity around the sport has
attracted the corporate world who often use individual players or football
clubs in the endorsement of their products and services.
“There is increased sponsorship and marketing,
bringing in more revenue. Football’s increased revenue now make it possible for
clubs to look beyond Zambia’s borders to strengthen their teams,” explained Liwewe.
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| Buildcon midfielder Chisamba Lungu earns K90000 per month. |
The resultant effect has also been
felt as many Zambian clubs have opted to increase competition levels through
signing of highly talented and experienced players from within and across the
region.
However, not so long ago, no one
would imagine that the Zambian Premier League would become a destination for
classic African players.
The Zambian Super league was once
seen as one of the feeder leagues in the region coupled with poor funding but
the paradigm has since shifted as many sponsors have come on board to sponsor
the much cherished sport in the country.
But Samuel Zulu a local fan notes
that the league has become attractive due to increased competition and skill of
the players.
"To me the Zambian league is not
only attractive but highly competitive and that is the reason why even the
corporate world are coming in to sponsor the sport," he notes.
However, some people still insists
that even though there is too much competition most football players follow the
money not the competition.
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| Former Lusaka Dynamos striker Chris Mugalu used to be paid K70000 a month. |
“The game here is a combination of power
and skill, the clubs are run professionally and on top of that, the financial
rewards are also enticing,” said Nelson Maziwisa, who is a Zimbabwean professional
footballer plying his trade at Kabwe Warriors.
Below is the list of how much
players are paid for featuring for Zambian clubs by comparing the top 10 richest
clubs in the country.
SOME ZSL CLUBS HIGHEST AND LOWEST
SALARIES IN 2018
As the money involved in football
increases, so does each individual player’s salary. Below is how teams in the
Zambian Super league are pecked when it comes to salaries;
CLUB
|
HIGHEST SALARY
|
LOWEST SALARY
|
|
1.
|
BUILDCON
|
K90 000
|
K9 500
|
2.
|
LUSAKA DYNAMOS
|
K70 000
|
K8 000
|
3.
|
ZESCO
|
K60 000
|
K7 000
|
4.
|
NKANA
|
K27 000
|
K5 000
|
5.
|
ZANACO
|
K27 000
|
K7 500
|
6.
|
NAPSA STARS
|
K15 000
|
K5 000
|
7.
|
RED ARROWS
|
K15 000
|
K3 500
|
8.
|
KABWE WARRIORS
|
K15 000
|
K4 000
|
9.
|
POWER DYNAMOES
|
K13 000
|
K7 000
|
10
|
FOREST RANGERS
|
K9 000
|
K4 000
|
Table compiled by Barnabas Roberts Zulu Jr.
It is suffice to note that Zambia is
among a few countries in the region and Africa as a whole where football
players are paid hefty salaries ranging between K90 000 and K7 000.
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Ponga Liwewe is a former FAZ General
Secretary and a son to legendary commentator late Dennis Liwewe
Samuel Zulu is a teacher and a
theologian based in Lusaka. He is also an ardent supporter of Nkana Football
Club
Nelson Maziwisa is professional
footballer playing for Super League side Kabwe Warriors Football Club
=====================================================================
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Story
by: Barnabas Roberts Zulu Jr
Edited
by: Darlington Kabambe, Sherry Chabala, Ireen Watema
Sources:
Susan Ngoma and Valerie Banda
Layout
Design: Chikobeni Esnart
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