World Soccer - UK (2021-10)

Theroughly 20 0,000population

ofKafue,a Southern town in the

provinceofLusaka in Zambia,would

onlyfillLeicester City’sKingPower

andBrighton’s AmexStadiumfour

timesbeforeyouwouldstartrunning

outofpeople.Yet thetown’slocal

club,KafueCeltic,hasproduced

twoof Zambia’sbrighteststars.

Beforethisyear, onlythreeZambians

hadeverplayedin thePremierLeague

• EmmanuelMayuka, CollinsMbesuma
  andNeilGregory– andbetweenthem
  theyonlymanaged 23 appearances.
  Thissummer, however, thatnumber
  increasedbytwo,thanksto Enock
  MwepuandPatsonDaka, both
  productsof KafueCeltic.
  Backwhenthe projectbeganalmost
  twodecadesago,Lee Kawanu,the

ZAMBIA

KafueCeltic:helpingput

Zambianfootballonthemap

BenBocsakreports

eye

witness

club’sfounderanddirector, couldhave

never envisaged whatitwouldbecome.

In 20 02,Kawanuwasafresh college

graduate whohadjust returned to his

hometown in Kafue.Savvyfor business,

Kawanuembarkedonmultiple ventures

inthe computerindustry whenhewas

approachedbylocalslookingfor

sponsorstohelpfunda new

teaminthe town.

“Theirthinkingwas to putall thebest

playerstogetherfromthelocalarea

andmake onestrongteamthatwould

registerwiththefootballassociationof

Zambia,” KawanurecallstoWorldSoccer.

Kawanu’sfathermanagedlocalside

NitrogenStars,a successfulteamin

the 1 980sand 19 90s,whowerelater

disbanded.Theopportunitytocontinue

hisfather’slegacyandrevive the

footballscene in Kafuewas oneLee

couldnotrefuse.

“Mydadusedtotakeustogames

every weekend.Sometimeswewould

travelwiththe players,soitwaseasy

tojustfallinlovewiththegameat

thatkindofintimatelevel.

“Growingup,youdreamabout

owningyourown football club.So

I toldmyself:‘I’mnot sure if Icando

this,butletmeseeif it’s worthit.’”

Kawanu’s team,thencalledKafueFC,

wouldstart on thebottomof Zambia’s

footballingpyramid.But thetownrallied

ABOVE LEFT: Arrivals...

DakaandMwepuat

theirnewPremier

Leagueclubs