Mtonga tops Zesco awards

CHIPOLOPOLO midfielder Khondwani Mtonga has for a fourth year running been named Zesco United player-of-the-year.

Mtonga has had a good season both at the senior team level and also at the club where he helped Zesco clinch an Orange 2014 CAF Confederation Cup place.

Also honoured during Zesco’s end of year party and award presentation night held at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on Saturday night was defender Bernard Mapili who got the most improved players’ award.

Striker Winston Kalengo finished as club top scorer with 13 goals as Simon Silwimba received the most disciplined player award with Dauti Musekwa recognised for being the most consistent player.

Other recognition awards went to Dabid Chilufya for his contributions to the club as player and coach, Andre Mtine for leading Zesco to its first ever CAF champions’ league group stages as technical director while Hastings Ndovi and Muteto were also recipients of the awards for their contributions to the club.

And Zesco Limited managing director Cyprian Chitundu has challenged the club to win the Confederations Cup title.

Chitundu expressed confidence that Zesco, who are on bye in the preliminary round waiting to play the winner of the tie between Azam of Tanzania and Ferroviarro Da Beira of Mozambique, will reach the finals and subsequently win the title.

He said this in a speech read for him by director of human resources and administration Morecome Mumba.

Chitundu has since demanded for hard work and discipline from the executive committee, technical bench and the players ahead of the 2014 football season, adding that the company cannot afford to fund non performers.

He also said that management wanted to come up with a budget that would see the team through to the finals.

Chitundu described the 2013 MTN-FAZ soccer league season as successful for Zesco and that despite failing to emerge champions, the club management gained consolation by securing a spot in the Confederations Cup.

He commended head coach Tenant Chembo for ending the season as second best and for guiding the team to compete in next year’s continental football.

Chitundu further hailed the club for engaging Investrust Bank Plc as shirt sponsor saying the company was happy that the club was developing ideas that would enable it to operate as a separate entity and generate its own income.

Club chairperson Kenneth Muteto said Zesco learnt some lessons from the second half of the season that saw them fail to consolidate their lead on the summit of the table and that the team has put in corrective measures going forward.

Muteto said winning of the Zambian league, the Samuel “Zoom” Ndhlovu Charity Shield and
achieving 100 per cent compliance in FIFA Club Licensing are some of the priorities for the club next season.

“We will not accept anything less and we therefore demand for results from the technical bench and the players,” he said.

Times of Zambia