JOSEPH NKOLE WANTED FOOTBALL HARMONY

MUKWIMA CHILALA writes @SunZambian THE late Soccer administrator Joseph Nkole who was yesterday put to rest at Lusaka’s Memorial Park has been described as a unifier that wanted to bring together warring parties in Zambian football. Nkole was laid to rest yesterday in a funeral service that was attended by a handful of people, who ably represented various sectors, due to COVID-19 restriction. And in giving his sermon, Father Charles Chilinda described Nkole as a very accommodating man who easily interacted with everyone at his parish –  St Ignatius Church. “I came to first meet Mr Nkole in 1996 in Kenya when the Nairobi Team came to play the Kenya National Soccer Team and I was tasked to drive the Zambian team by the Embassy. He struck me as a quiet man, very soft spoken,” Father Chilinda said. “When the FAZ elections started campaigns started, he first came to me and told me ’Father, some people want me to stand for elections, so I am going to pray about it’. And after a week he came back and said ‘Father I think I will run for FAZ presidency because God has tasked me to unite the factions.” And Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) General Secretary Adrian Kashala noted that football had lost a gallant soldier, whose ideas were to bring football back through reconciliation. Kashala said that Nkole remained a life member and member of the disciplinary committee of the association until his death. “His desire can be seen from his aspirations to run for the top job, he wanted the football family to work together,” Kashala said. “We would have loved to see him accomplish his aspirations, he served football in many other areas.” And the Cotton Association of Zambia, in which the late Nkole served as chairman, said he raised the profile of the sector. Association vice Chairperson Christine Banda noted that the late Nkole raised the status of farmers and producers of cotton. The funeral service was attended by Deputy Secretary to Cabinet for administration Patrick Kangwa who gave a speech as a best friend to the late as well as in his in his capacity representing Government. Others in attendance were veteran soccer administrator Simataa Simataa, FAZ deputy Secretary General Joseph Chimpampwe, Ministry of Finance spokesperson Chileshe Kandeta and Millennium Radio Executive Director Patricia Chibiliti among another industry captain’s. Nkole was among the three presidential candidates in the run for the yet to be called FAZ Elective General Meeting.