Aime Mabika (24) was born in Zambia to Congolese parents before moving to the United States, where he plays for Toronto FC as a center-back.
Mabika and British-born defender Frankie Musonda both pledged allegiance to play for Zambia in March 2022. The two made their debuts in two friendly matches against Benin and Congo Brazzaville.
Since then, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security only awarded Musonda Zambian citizenship.
Musonda went on to play four games for the Chipolopolo boys against Ivory Coast, Comoros, and Lesotho. He has cemented his place in the national team and instantly became a fun favorite.
Despite various contradictory announcements from the Football Association of Zambia and the Ministry of Sports on the status of the player’s naturalization, Mabika was not given a Zambian passport a year later.
Meanwhile, newly appointed FAZ secretary general Reuben Kamanga has stated that government has finally awarded the towering defender a passport.
“I am pleased to announce to the nation that this afternoon we managed to get Aime Mabika’s passport, which has been an illusive issue in the last few months,” Kamanga said on Facebook Live while showing the passport to the over one thousand viewers.
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Mabika is now expected at the Chipolopolo camp in South Africa. The team is preparing for their crucial match against Ivory Coast on June 17th, 2023 in Ndola.
Zambia just needs a point to secure qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since 2015.
