The Kawale Boys: A Green Eagle soaring high in Choma
Green Eagles Football Club is a Zambian football club based in Choma in the southern part of Zambia nick-named the Kawale boys with their popular slogan Tonka Tweende (Push we go).
They play in the top tier of Zambian football the MTN/ FAZ Super Division. The club finished its first maiden appearance in the league in 2008.
The team was based in Choma playing in Division One South in Choma with Kanzinze Stadium as their home ground. After winning promotion the team was moved to Kabwe because Kanzinze Stadium was not good enough to host Super League games.
The people of Choma were upset and hence the Zambia National Service decided to rename a Builders Brigade as Choma Eagles and it was taken to Choma to play in Division One South.
The team two teams were merged around 2011/12 to make one team that went back to Choma.
There have been notable resurgence by the club thereafter, which has shifted the power balance of elite football in Zambia.
The Choma-based club has transformed themselves from relegation-threatened candidates to title contenders over the last three seasons, thanks to the support by their sponsors Zambia National Service (ZNS), focused leadership at the service under colonel Jim Kafumukache and the tactics employed by Head Coach Aggrey Chiyangi, who recently served as Chipolopolo care-taker coach before Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojeviç came in at the helm of Chipolopolo.
Kafumukache in white
In 2018, Eagles finished in 4th position which earned the club their first-ever qualification to the CAF Confederations Cup. Their best position came in the 2019 season, where they finished in 2nd place and subsequently qualified for
the CAF Champions League.
In July 2019, Eagles made a debut at the CECAFA Kagame Cup in Rwanda where they managed to win bronze after beating AS Maniema Union of DR Congo 2-0 in the third and fourth place playoff match in Kigali where they finished third at the tournament.
On 24 August 2019, Green Eagles eliminated South Africa’s Orlando Pirates from the CAF Champions League competition as they drew 1-1 in a preliminary round, second leg match at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg.
Tonka Tweende won the tie 2-1 on aggregate having edged the Buccaneers 1-0 in the first leg in Lusaka at Nkoloma Stadium, Zambia two weeks earlier.
Currently, the team plays at the approximately 1000 capacity Choma Independence Stadium in the city of Choma, Zambia. However, following Eagles debut continental qualification and participation in the 2018/2019 CAF Confederation Cup, their Choma base has been undergoing an upgrade to expand the capacity of the famous Choma independence stadium.
The team is currently third on the log with 44 points and just two points adrift of log leaders, Forest Rangers and well on the way to qualify for Continental football for the third year in a row.
Green Eagles continental showpiece results.
1) CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Sat 10/08/19: Green Eagles 1 – 0 Orlando Pirates
Sat 24/08/19: Orlando Pirates 1 – 1 Green Eagles
Sat 14/09/19: Green Eagles 1 – 2 1º de Agosto
Sun 29/09/19: 1º de Agosto 0 – 1 Green Eagles
2) CAF CONFEDERATION CUP
Tue 27/11/18: Green Eagles 2 – 0 Young Buffaloes
Wed 05/12/18: Young Buffaloes 2 – 3 Green Eagles
Sat 15/12/18: Green Eagles 0 – 0 NA Hussein Dey
Sat 22/12/18: NA Hussein Dey 2 – 1 Green Eagles
Sun 27/10/19: Green Eagles 1 – 1 Hassania Agadir
Sun 03/11/19: Hassania Agadir 2 – 1 Green Eagles
3) CECAFA KAGAME CUP
Sat 06/07/19: Heegan 0 – 2 Green Eagles
Mon 08/07/19: Green Eagles 0 – 1 APR
Thu 11/07/19: Proline 1 – 2 Green Eagles
Wed 17/07/19: Gor Mahia 1 – 2 Green Eagles
Fri 19/07/19: KCCA E 4 – 3 Green Eagles
Sun 21/07/19: Maniema Union 0 – 2 Green Eagles