British-born defender of Zambian descent, Jadel Katongo, made his debut for the senior Manchester City FC side that defeated Girona 2-0 in a friendly match.
City coach Pep Guardiola chose a combination of youth and experience for the match, which saw Katongo play the entire 90 minutes.
Katongo, who was born to a British mother and a Zambian father, was among the players from Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad (EDS), which also included Shea Charles and Morgan Rogers, that featured for the English champions in the friendly match.
Commenting on the performance of the boys, Guardiola said, “It was really good.”
“They were good minutes for them and for us all and we played against our friends from Girona, so it was good.”
The gaffer also added that “it was the first game in a really long time, and it was good for players who haven’t played much and for players like Erling, Riyad, and Sergio who haven’t played at all.”
The Citizens won their first game since November 12 thanks to goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland as they prepare to play Liverpool in the EFL next Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) informed BolaNews that they are in contact with Katongo and that if the under-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers earlier this year in March had not taken place during a non-FIFA international window, he would have been part of the Zambian team.
Katongo received a call-up to the Zambia U-23 National Team, which advanced to the 2023 Morocco U-23 Cup of Nations second-round qualifiers, where they will play Egypt for a spot at the finals, which will serve as the qualifying tournament for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Many Zambian fans are expecting that the youngster will soon switch his international allegiance from England to Zambia and play for the Chipolopolo.
