Zanaco midfielder and play maker Jack Chileshe singled out his midfield partner 18 year old Stophira Sunzu as the one to watch for future.
Symbol for Present & Future
With all the plaudit going to another teen, Roger Kola who has scored five goals in his last three appearance for the bankers, the 24 year old former Lusaka Celtic player told Zambiafootball.com that Sunzu is the symbol of Zambia’s present and future and should be guarded jelous together with Kola, Ignitious Lwipa, Banda ‘Thiery’ Henry and Chisamba Lungu.
“I‘ve played with a lot of midfielders during my time here but Stophira (Sunzu) is an exceptional talent,” said Chileshe
“He is an upcoming young midfielder…he is a national team player material and definitely he will be anchoring the midfield for the Chipolopolo for many years,” referring to the all action 2007 World Youth Cup midfielder.
Sunzu starts, Zanaco wins
Since his return from Tunisia, Sunzu has featured four times for the 2005 and 2006 league Champions and he has found himself once on the losing side.
He made his Zanaco debut as a second half substitute (Chileshe) was also a second substitute) in the 1-0 loss to Young Arrows. The duo increased the tempo of the match and Chileshe almost equalized with a long range thunderbolt.
After a second half display of defiance and excellence against Young Arrows, Sunzu has been given the nod for a starting berth ahead of seasoned former Chipolopolo and Egypt 2006 Afcon flop Lameck Njobvu.
Sunzu and Chileshe have started Zanaco’s three matches out of four together. He only missed the 1-0 home loss to Hichani Himoonde free kick for Lusaka Dynamos on May 1 as he was away with the national team in Botswana.
The Chililabombwe born lanky midfielder has seen ‘Sensational’ record victories in the games he has started; 3-0 thrashing of Chambishi (Roger Kola scored a brace) , 1-2 win over Green Eagles courtesy of Kola’s second brace of the season and over the weekend’s 3-1 home (Kola scored the equalizer) win over ‘Kalampa Red Devils’ on Saturday.
Tactical & Technique awareness
At his age, Sunzu is capable of detecting the tempo of the match; against Uruguay at the World Youth Cup last year, he gave a man of the match performance as Zambia under-20 qualified to the next. And the in Zanaco v Nkana, the young lad showed his calmness and tactical knowledge by slowing the pace of the match with his simple one-two touches.
In the first 20 minutes Nkana run the proccedings of the game as they terrorized Zanaco and with their vocal fans backing them and it was feared that the Wusakile boys were going to embarrass and withdraw all the three points from the Zambia National Commercial Bank (Zanaco) sponsored side.
Zanaco looked disgruntled at this stage but Sunzu’s tactical and technique awareness in the engine room paid the dividend. First it was his diagonal switch pass that released Ignitious Lwipa and flicked it to surging Chileshe.
The dinumitive Chileshe’s step overs tricked the Nkana defence as he’s square pass was slotted home by Kola.
Chileshe got excited and left the youngster own his own in the midfield for the entire part of the match before he pulled his muscle(thigh) and got substituted but the on loan Afrisports player anchored and protected the Kennedy Nkhetani led back four with a lavishly-gifted but well rounded performance.
Revelation;Rennes trial
Sunzu was one of the revelations at the 2007 World Youth Cup in Canada alongside Kabwe Warriors’ Emmanuel Mayuka and Kola-the trio did not make the African Youth Cup squad earlier in February 2007. Lusaka Dynamos’ midfielder William Njobvu was also a stand out at the tournament.
Sunzu had two month trial at English side Raeding after the tournament. He is expected to attend trials at French Ligue 1 side Rennes where compatriot Felix Katongo plays.
Father and Brother’s Influence
His father, Felix Sunsu Sr is a former Konkola Blades goalkeeper and the Congolese born is now the goalkeeper coach at the Chililabobwe based club.
His elder brother, Felix Sunzu Jr is based in Tunisia where is featuring for AS Marsa. Sunzu Jr replaced Collins Mbesuma in the Afcon Squad and made his international debut against Cameroon in the 5-1 thrashing.
Stophira Sunzu is yet to make his international debut.But he has represented Zambia under-20 and 23 level. He was part of the squad that traveled to Botswana1 May.
Read the complete post at http://zambianfootball.blogspot.com/2008/05/zanacos-chileshe-sunzu-ll-be-anchorman.html
Posted
Tue, May 13 2008 3:10
by
WWW.ZAMBIAFOOTBALL.COM