CAF Champions league or I retire – Chamanga
By the ZamFoot Crew | July 17, 2019
2012 AFCON winner James Chamanga says he may have to ponder retiring from the playing football should his club Red Arrows fail to qualify for Continental football this coming season.
The 39-year-old forward told the ZamFoot Crew that he has played football for a long time in Africa but has not yet played in the CAF Champions League and he wants to qualify for the Continental showpiece with the Airmen or else might hang up his boots.
” For me its simple where we left off last season we finished third our target is to continue and qualify for Champions league its the only priority I have for this season but if we don’t qualify I may have to think otherwise about continuing playing because I have played for a long time in Africa but I have never played in the CAF Champions league . So my target is too score a lot of goals and qualify for Champions league, ” he said.
“For me I just want the players to get focussed we don’t want to escort other teams Red Arrows is a big team. We begin badly and end well almost every season so we want to change it and stay well so that we qualify for Champions League, ” he added.
Chamanga has been playing active professional football for over 15 years. The man Nicknamed ‘Jemba Jemba’ opened up about the secrets behind the longevity of his career compared to many footballers.
“It falls on discipline. I have been asked to question a lot of times. As you are growing in your game you have to have principles. The things disturbing these young players is alcohol and women. They do well in preseason and fail to keep their fitness level,” he said.
“You need to keep your life simple with God by your side. Love God, Your body and your work. For those that are married love your family, they will be helping you and praying for you. I hope they young boys can emulate this so that they can stay as long and do even more than I have done.”
Chamanga also went on to promise fans a lot of goals and wins the coming seasons hence called on them to always come out in numbers to support the team.
“The fans must get excited. They saw what we did in the transitional league in a short period, they must be coming in numbers because it will be an interesting season with a lot of goals and wins,” he said.
The Airmen last played in the CAF Champions league in 2005 after winning the league in 2004. They have eliminated in the second round by Nigerian side Enyimba thanks to a huge 9-1 aggregate scoreline.
Their last participation in a CAF Competition was however in 2012 when they were eliminated in the preliminary stage of the CAF Confederation Cup by Royal Leopards of Eswatini.