By SANDRA MWILA –
CAPTAIN Ziyo Tembo banked K20,000 after bagging three accolades during the Zanaco award gala held at Hotel InterContinental in Lusaka on Saturday night.
The inspirational Tembo was named club Player-of-the-Year which came with a K10, 000 prize and was followed with the Players player award that earned him K7, 000 and lastly the Fans player-of-the-Year award worth K3, 000.
Tembo had an impressive season with the bankers that saw him guide his team to the league seventh title.
Other recipients on the night included the two Sakala’s in Fashion and Saith, who got awarded with Topscorer award pocketing K10, 000 while the latter was awarded in absentia as he is in camp with the Zambia Under-20 team.
Defender George Chilufya was Zanaco’s Most Consistent Player and got K7, 000 while Charles Zulu also cashed in K7, 000 after getting the Most Improved Player accolade.
Goalkeeper Kacha Kola was rewarded for his longest service to the club having been with the Sunset based side for 15 years and pocketed K7, 000.
Most disciplined player award went to Richard Kasonde while the Chairman’s award was given to goalkeeper Toaster Nsabata, with the two pocketing K7, 000.
Zanaco chairperson Edward Mutale said the team made a number of records in the league last season which saw the team finish with an impressive 81 points, scoring 71 goals from 13 different scorers.
Mutale said Zanaco deserves to be in the Champions League because they earned their rights on the pitch.
“Zanaco pledges to represent the country with integrity and we have already started preparing for the second round. We earned our rights on the pitch and not by good will being extended to us. To our colleagues in the Super League be informed that we also intend to defend our title,” Mutale said.
Zanaco managing director Hendrik Mulder congratulated the team for eliminating Rwanda Patriotic Army and was now looking forward for the next game against Young Africans, commonly known as Yanga.
Sports Minister Moses Mawere urged Zanaco to work hard and beat Zesco United’s record of reaching the semi-finals.
Mawere, who was represented by Local Government Vincent Mwale as he was attending a CAF dinner, wished Zanaco the best as the fly the Zambian flag in the continental competition.
“I should say I was one of the Zambians that had lost faith in Zanaco after watching them draw against APR. But we believe in you and have confidence in you…Don’t relax but push and work extra hard. We need you to get rewards at international level,” Mwale said.
Mawere, in the company of FAZ president Andrew Kamanga, later passed through the Zanaco ceremony and had a light moment with Zanaco officials as the CAF dinner was at the same hotel.