Green Buffaloes – A pond for women football talent
By Aaron Mubanga Jnr | July 10, 2020
Women’s football in Zambia has continued to make steady progress despite numerous challenges faced by the teams like poor or no sponsorship and pathetic state of pitches for training and for official matches.
For the girl child, even convincing her parents to support her career let alone society is a huge task as the sport is still widely viewed as a male occupation.
A number of clubs have however emerged as leaders in propelling this agenda forward. In Bauleni, Bauleni United Sports Academy ( BUSA) has done so well in developing talent, Moba Queens and Indeni Roses have been instrumental on the Copperbelt while Queens Academy and Solwezi Academy look like they are heading in the right direction.
However, when it comes to national team contribution at the moment no team comes close to Green Buffaloes. Under the leadership of Col Priscilla Katoba, The Zambia army sponsored outfit has won the Lusaka FAZ Women’s league six times in a row.
Buffaloes currently contributes over half of the players in the Copper Queens squad. The first choice goalkeeper, Hazel Nali, Defenders Anita Mulenga, Agness Musesa, Martha Tembo, and Lushomo Mweemba, Midfielders Judith Zulu, Theresa Chewe, Mary ‘RTSA’ Mwakapila and Irene ‘Xavi’ Lungu.
They also contribute an assistant coach in Beauty Mwamba and their head coach Charles Haalubono is the Women’s national team gaffer while their young striker Maylan Mulenga is the first choice striker at U-20.
Buffaloes have been very consistent in the recent past and have managed to sweep every trophy that is available to them including the 2019 Charity shield and the inaugural FAZ Women’s National Championship earlier this year when they beat Col Katoba’s Queens Academy in the final.
With the announcement made by CAF last month that they would introduce a Women’s Champions League next year, The soldiers are among the teams peeped to be at the forefront to represent Zambia and are the actual favorites to qualify.