Sabobo is a generation talent

His numbers and consistency levels are crazy for someone of his age.

He has every European club scrambling for his signature.

For a country who have produced Godfrey ‘Ucar’ Chitalu, Alex ‘Computer’ Chola, Kalusha ‘Great’ Bwalya, Kelvin ‘Malaza’ Mutale and Collins ‘Ntonfo-Ntonfo’ Mbesuma, it is not easy to be mentioned in the same breath as those legends when you are yet to turn your 16th birthday.

One would argue that CAF 2012 African Cup of Nations heroes like Chris Katongo, Rainford Kalaba, Emmanuel Mayuka or Chisamba Lungu have been omitted.

Yes, this boy from Lusaka’s Chaisa township is a generation talent.

While Chaisa township is about 1km away from National Heroes Stadium, this boy yet to make an official appearance at the country’s football cathedral.

But he has trained there with Chipolopolo Boys.

Joseph Sabobo Banda is a kid, who has taken Southern Africa by storm in the last the last 24 months.

The Zambia Under-17 skipper has already banged in 5 goals at the on-going Cosafa Under-17 tournament ahead of Wednesday’s final against neighbours Angola in Maseru, Lesotho.

Actually, that is Sabobo’s 11th goal.

In 2019, while Rickson Ng’ambi grabbed all the headline as the Oswald Mutapa young guns won the tournament, Sabobo scored a goal and won the man of the match award once.

Last year, Sabobo bagged 5 goals to emerge top scorer as he helped Zambia to silver.

The young bullets qualified for CAF 2021 African Cup of Nations in Morocco, a tournament which was cancelled at the 11th hour due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, he has continued from where he left off scoring Zambia’s 5 goals from 6 at the tournament in three matches. [That’s an average of…..goals per ….minutes. That’s staggering because even top strikers such as Braut Erling Haaland, Ronaldo, Lukaku, Salah cannot boost of such a goal scoring return]

For a player who is mainly deployed on either the left or right flank, his numbers are

crazy.

He skills are enormous. He is a dribbling wizard, has pace to burn and an eye for goal.

Football runs in his veins this son of the late Profund Warriors (Now Napsa Stars) player Mbwende Saibwende, who was raised by his maternal grandmother whose surname Banda he bears, making the subjugation of the inflated leather skin so easy to the eye.

While many would argue that there is not enough competitive level in Maseru, one can turn to the Football Association of Zambia, Lusaka Province Division one league.

Last season Sabobo, his real name (many confuse it for a nickname) was the league’s top scorer with 15 goals.

This season he already has 4 goals credited to his name for his club Athletico Lusaka.

In terms of level, well a fortnight ago, Sabobo’s Athletico Lusaka came up against Zambia Army Sponsored side Riflemen.

Riflemen had former Zambia internationals like Venecious Mapande, Lawrence Lubinda, Stephen Kabamba and Malani Gondwe but the kid tore them apart.

So it’s not just about his skills and goal scoring instinct that stands out for Sabobo, the boy is also a leader on the pitch.

When things are not going well for the team or he is being roughed up-and it is almost a daily routine for him to be on the receiving end of rough challenges-the boy remains resolutely vocal and constantly demanding for the ball.

“Iwe leta bola,” (pass me the ball) and his teammates duly oblige. For the crowd they will be up their seats in anticipation of some Sabobo magic.

And he has that wow factor.

For the past , decades, only Kalusha, Mbesuma and to some extent Chris Katongo have that kind of pull factor.

He is a born leader, winner and has that fear factor.

No wonder he has no.11 at the back of his shirt for both club and country.

On Wednesday, it is a given Sabobo will definitely be named as the Player of the Tournament as well as top scorer for the second year running.

Is a Euro move too soon?

Well, that’s for Mauro Sanna, Athletico Lusaka CEO, to worry about.

For now, the ZamFoot Crew can exclusively reveal it’s just a matter of time before the wonder boy gets his dream move.

Sabobo is a gem, he is simply a generation talent.