Former Nkwazi Football Club goalkeeper Nelson Banda believes Zambia can develop a strong, world-class pool of goalkeepers by embracing modern training methods and exposing young players to high-level international competitions at an early age.
Banda, who has since retired from active football, is now serving as a goalkeeper coach at Lusaka Division Five side Chunga Sports Academy, where he is focusing on nurturing the next generation of talent.
In an interview with Bola News, Banda explained that he wants to give back to the game.
“Chunga Sports Academy plays in FAZ Division Five in Lusaka. They advertised for the position of coach and goalkeeper trainer last year, and I applied. I hold a FAZ D Licence, and I was appointed,” Banda said.
Drawing from his own career, Banda stressed that early exposure to modern football environments is key to producing elite goalkeepers and players.
“I played for Chiparamba Academy before joining Nkwazi in 2009. At Chiparamba, I was exposed to modern football techniques and played European youth tournaments against teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid youth sides, BK Häcken of Sweden and Cruz Azul of Mexico when I was just 17. I even won some cups as a goalkeeper,” he said.
“I think the best way we can develop young players and goalkeepers is to embrace modern football techniques and expose them to competitive youth tournaments. For me, it was easy to play in the Zambia Super League because of the exposure I had at a young age,” he said.
“Exposure is Key” – Banda.
Banda recalled featuring in major European youth tournaments such as the Gothia Cup in Sweden and the Dana Cup in Denmark while playing for Chiparamba Academy.
He added that competing against elite academies boosted his confidence and prepared him for top-flight football in Zambia.
“At the age of 16, I had already won the Gothia Cup and the Dana Cup. Playing against Barcelona and Real Madrid youth teams gave me confidence to come back and compete in the Zambian league,” Banda explained.
Banda noted that academies such as Chiparamba, EduSport and Lusaka Youth Academy played a major role in developing players who went on to excel at both club and international level.
“In our time, Chiparamba alone produced players like Clifford Mulenga, William Njovu, Hichani Himoonde and Davy Nkausu, who even went on to win AFCON for Zambia,” he said.
He also challenged perceptions about South Africa’s success with locally based players, arguing that many had benefited from early exposure abroad.
“People say South Africa is doing well using local players, but if you check their background, many of them played in European youth tournaments like the Gothia Cup and Norway Cup. During my days at Chiparamba, we used to meet Orlando Pirates Under-17 almost every year at the Gothia Cup,” Banda said.
He believes expanding such opportunities beyond Lusaka would significantly strengthen Zambia’s talent base.
“If we can have more academies countrywide that can take young players to European youth tournaments, we will build a large pool of quality players, not just in Lusaka but across the country,” Banda said.
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