World Soccer - UK (2021-10)

ZAMBIA

WithMwepuandDaka,Kawanu’s
hardworkwasjustified.Thepairof
themplayed majorrolesinsecuring
victory forZambiaattheUnder- 20
AFCONin 2017 onhomesoil.
Theultimatepieceinthe jigsaw was
theinfluenceofformerAfricanPlayer
ofthe YearFreddieKanoute.The
ex-WestHamUnited andTottenham
forwarddevelopedanagencycalled
12 Managementin 2015 , intendingto
bringmore AfricanplayerstoEurope.
Itwas in Kanoute’s quest to findtalent
thatledtohimmeetingwith Kawanu,
andthe pairbonded.
“Thingshavechangeda lotsince
I startedworkingwithhim.Heisa
bigpart of whatKafueCelticistoday,”
Kawanusays.“Fredhastakenusto
a wholenewlevel.Wewerebiginthe
nationinterms of player production,
butFredopenedusuptothe rest
ofthe world.”
KanouteworkswithKafueCeltic
asa consultant.Heprovidesaccess
tocoachingtrainingfromtheUK,and
hisagencyrepresentsbothMwepuand
Daka. Andwithhislinkstoclubsaround
theworld,Kanoute hashelpedfacilitate
moreopportunitiesfor Kafue.

Lastseason,theclubearned

promotiontothe Zambian Premier

Leaguewithasquadthathadan

averageageof 20 andwillbecome

theyoungestteaminthehistoryof

thecountry’stop flight.Kawanu’svision

ofdevelopingyouth hasmadeKafue

Celticoneofthemosttalked about

clubsinthe Zambia.

“That’sthereasonI joinedCeltic,

becauseitwasateamthatknewhow

togivenew opportunitiesandchances

toyoungplayerslikeme,” Mwepusays.

“Hegivesa lotofyoungpeoplea

chance,” Dakaagrees.“Hehelpsplayers

growbecausehehassomuchpatience

andabilitytobuildrelationshipswith

people.”

Kawanuadmits securingpromotion

wasa very“special”momentforthe

club.Especiallyona personallevel

consideringhehasbeentryingtoget

KafueCeltictothe SuperLeaguefor

almosttwodecades.But hisfuture

visiongoesbeyondambitionsfor

hisown club.

“Mybigdreamisforus to have

20 academieslike KafueCelticin

Zambia.Peoplesay if youhave

competition,it’simpossibleto

competebutthat’snottruebecause

wehaveenoughtalenttogoround.

Ifwehad 20 KafueCelticsdoing

whatwearedoing,all we woulddo

isopenupevenmore opportunities

andopenupZambiatotherest

ofthe world.”

PatsonDakaandEnockMwepu

havealreadyhelped putKafueon

themap.WithKawanu’sperseverance,

moremaysoonfollowtheirsuit. And

withBarcelonaopeninganacademy

innearby Lusaka,Kawanu’s future

visionmaynotbefarawayeither.

Return...Daka

returnedtodonate

KafueCeltic’skit

forlastseason

Adviser...former

PremierLeaguestriker

FredericKanoute