Zambia’s fastest man, Muzala Samukonga, had a lighthearted encounter with Chipolopolo coach Avram Grant at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka, joking about the athlete’s chances of switching to football. 

Samukonga, who won gold medals in the 400 metres at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and African Championships, joked that Grant wants him to switch to football and become a striker for the Chipolopolo.

Chipolopolo is fine-tuning for the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) set for Ivory Coast next week and Grant would welcome Samukonga’s pace, wouldn’t he?

“We had a very great conversation with the big man [Avram Grant]. I really want Samukonga to be the striker [for Chipolopolo],’” Samukonga commented on a post on the popular Facebook page Kalemba which shared a photo of the athlete and Grant. 

Sadly for Samukonga, the final AfCON squads have already been submitted to the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF). He will wish he had met Grant earlier.

Can Samukonga switch to football?

Samukonga would not be the first athlete to flirt with the idea of changing fields. Several other sports stars have tried their hand at different disciplines, with varying degrees of success.

One of the most famous examples is Jamaican sprint legend, Usain Bolt who holds world records in the 100 metres and 200 metres.

Bolt, who retired from athletics in 2017, pursued his dream of becoming a professional footballer and trained with several clubs, including Borussia Dortmund, Stromsgodset, and the Central Coast Mariners. However, he failed to secure a contract and eventually gave up on his football career in 2019.

Closer to home, Zambia itself has witnessed athletes excel in multiple sports. Cases in point are Copper Queens skipper Barbra Banda and Rachael Nachula, who started as boxers and runners, respectively, before falling for the beautiful game.