Green Buffaloes Women’s Football Club (GBWFC) coach Charles Haluboono told BolaNews that it has been difficult to replace the trio of forward Hellen Chanda, defender Martha Tembo, and midfielder Irene Lungu, who left the club last month to sign two-year contracts with Kazakhstan Champions Bllk Shymkent.
The trio was instrumental in GBWFC’s success, winning seven league titles, the COSAFA Cup, and helping the team qualify for the CAF Champions League, the first Zambian women’s club to do so.
Halaboono said it will be difficult to replace them but believes that such moves are common in football and can occur at any time, therefore they have to carry on as they also look to sign new players.
“Yes, it will not be easy for us, but as you know in football, such moves are normal; you lose players and you bring in new ones, so it will depend on how we can push those who have remained and encourage them to step up and do better,” he said.
“We will actually be going into the transfer market to buy players, I think we have lost quite a good number, not only these three but even in previous windows we lost players, I’m sure you have seen the record of players that we have lost now, we will now have to look outside and find quality players who will help us fill up the gaps.”
The 2022 COSAFA Women’s Champions League winning coach also stated that the team’s ambition remains the same, which is to defend the league title and qualify for the CAF Champions League for the second time.
“Our targets still remain the same, and we are on course to achieve them. First, we have to defend the League title, the COSAFA Cup, and also go further in the CAF Champions League. I know that it won’t be easy, but if we remain focused and take each game seriously, it’s possible.”
Despite the struggle to replace the stars who left the club, GBWFC has continued with its dominance in the Zambian Women’s League.
Yesterday they defeated ZISD 2-0 yesterday to extend their lead at the top of the table to 42 points, four more than second-placed Zesco Ndola Girls, as they aim to win the league for the eighth consecutive year.
