Collins Mbesuma
Encyclopedia
Collins Mbesuma is a Zambia
n footballer
. He is nicknamed The Hurricane or Ntofontofo.
. His father, Francis Kajiya, was also a football player who played as a midfielder
for Zambian
clubs; Green Buffaloes FC
and Ndola United FC as well as the country's national team from the late 1970s to the early 1980s.
The surname "Mbesuma" is adopted from his step father who raised him as he was not brought up by his biological father Kajiya.
Mbesuma made his debut for Zambia in 2003 and had won four caps by the end of that year, while at the same time being a key member of Zambia's under-23 side that almost qualified for the Athens Olympics.
His performances for the Olympic team caught the attention of Kaizer Chiefs who bought him in January from Roan United in Zambia, where he averaged a goal every other game.
He scored on his debut in South Africa's Premier Soccer League
in 2004 against the Black Leopards
but injured himself in the process and spent several weeks on the sidelines.
Mbesuma was named PSL Player of the Season
in 2005 after scoring a sensational 35 goals in one season with Kaizer Chiefs. After such an achievement a move to a more prestigious league looked assured, and indeed it was enough to catch the eye of Sam Allardyce
, manager of Bolton Wanderers
(Le Mans UC72
looked to sign him but administrative problems didn't allow Mbesuma to join France). However, Mbesuma was reluctant to take a trial at the club, feeling his quality was already proven, and so this allowed then-Portsmouth manager Alain Perrin to snap him up on a three-year contract in the summer of 2005. Work permit
problems due to the low ranking
of his country meant he was not given clearance to join the club until late into pre-season.
It was noted that he appeared overweight early in the season when playing for the reserve team. Mbesuma never started a match for Portsmouth; he only came on for a total of 4 brief substitute appearances, all in the first half of the 2005/06 season. In July 2006 he began a season long loan with CS Marítimo
where he appeared to be regaining his form – netting in vital goals early in the season and receiving the Swan d'Or, an auspicious monthly Portuguese football award. However his form soon dipped and his goal tally climaxed at a total of just seven goals. He returned to Portsmouth in June 2007 after playing 23 games for the Portuguese
team.
His transfer from Kaizer Chiefs to Portsmouth
in August 2005 is one of those about which the Stevens inquiry report in June 2007 expressed concerns, because of the involvement of agent Willie McKay
.
On 4 August 2007, it was announced that Bursaspor
signed Mbesuma for an undisclosed amount.
On 17 September 2007, Mbesuma was fined 5000 Euros by Bursaspor for failing to return on time to his Turkish base after helping Zambia to beat South Africa in an African Cup of Nations
qualifier. This kind of behaviour by Mbesuma was condemned and described as irresponsible by the Zambian FA (FAZ
) Mbesuma has a long standing reputation of poor timekeeping. This problem dates back to his time at Zambian
outfit Roan United. In January 2008, Mbesuma was left off the Zambian national squad at the 2008 African Cup of Nations
after being declared unfit.http://www.sabcnews.com/sport/soccer/0,2172,162174,00.html
On 23 May 2008, Mbesuma mutually terminated his contract with Bursaspor and signed with Mamelodi Sundowns
. After an unimpressive stints at Mamelodi Sundowns
and then Moroka Swallows FC his contract was terminated at the end of the June 2010. After being clubless for several months he joined Golden Arrows
on 20 December 2010 for a six month deal. He scored his first goals (a brace) against Amazulu
on 16 January 2011.
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
n footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
. He is nicknamed The Hurricane or Ntofontofo.
Career
Mbesuma was born in LuanshyaLuanshya
Luanshya is a town in Zambia, in the Copperbelt Province near Ndola. It has a population of 117,579 .Luanshya was founded in the early part of the 20th century after a prospector/explorer, William Collier, shot and killed a Roan Antelope on the banks of the Luanshya River, discovering a copper...
. His father, Francis Kajiya, was also a football player who played as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for Zambian
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
clubs; Green Buffaloes FC
Green Buffaloes FC
Green Buffaloes FC is a Zambian football club based in Lusaka. They play in the top division in Zambian football. Their home stadium is Independence Stadium.-Achievements:*Zambian Premier League: 6*Zambian Cup: 1*Zambian Challenge Cup: 5...
and Ndola United FC as well as the country's national team from the late 1970s to the early 1980s.
The surname "Mbesuma" is adopted from his step father who raised him as he was not brought up by his biological father Kajiya.
Mbesuma made his debut for Zambia in 2003 and had won four caps by the end of that year, while at the same time being a key member of Zambia's under-23 side that almost qualified for the Athens Olympics.
His performances for the Olympic team caught the attention of Kaizer Chiefs who bought him in January from Roan United in Zambia, where he averaged a goal every other game.
He scored on his debut in South Africa's Premier Soccer League
Premier Soccer League
Premier Soccer League is the trading name of the National Soccer League of South Africa. The top league is the ABSA Premiership, sponsored by ABSA...
in 2004 against the Black Leopards
Black Leopards
Black Leopards are a South African football club based in Makhado, Limpopo that plays in the Premier Soccer League.-History:The club was founded in 1983 by business people in Venda. In 1998 the club was taken over by the Thidiela family...
but injured himself in the process and spent several weeks on the sidelines.
Mbesuma was named PSL Player of the Season
PSL Player of the Season
The PSL Player of the Season in South African football is awarded to the most outstanding player of the season....
in 2005 after scoring a sensational 35 goals in one season with Kaizer Chiefs. After such an achievement a move to a more prestigious league looked assured, and indeed it was enough to catch the eye of Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce
Samuel "Sam" Allardyce , nicknamed "Big Sam", is an English football manager and former professional player. In June 2011 he was appointed as manager of West Ham United....
, manager of Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
(Le Mans UC72
Le Mans UC72
Le Mans Football Club is a French association football club based in Le Mans. The club was founded in 1985 as a result of a merger under the name Le Mans Union Club 72. In 2010, Le Mans changed its name to Le Mans FC to coincide with the re-modeling of the club, which includes moving into a new...
looked to sign him but administrative problems didn't allow Mbesuma to join France). However, Mbesuma was reluctant to take a trial at the club, feeling his quality was already proven, and so this allowed then-Portsmouth manager Alain Perrin to snap him up on a three-year contract in the summer of 2005. Work permit
Work permit
Work permit is a generic term for a legal authorization which allows a person to take employment.It is most often used in reference to instances where a person is given permission to work in a country where one does not hold citizenship, but is also used in reference to minors, who in some...
problems due to the low ranking
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
of his country meant he was not given clearance to join the club until late into pre-season.
It was noted that he appeared overweight early in the season when playing for the reserve team. Mbesuma never started a match for Portsmouth; he only came on for a total of 4 brief substitute appearances, all in the first half of the 2005/06 season. In July 2006 he began a season long loan with CS Marítimo
CS Marítimo
Club Sport Marítimo MH M, commonly known as just Marítimo , is a Portuguese sports club, founded in Funchal, Madeira, in 1910. The club is regarded as an important club in Portugal, and are widely known throughout the Portuguese speaking world, in countries such as Brazil, Angola, and Cape...
where he appeared to be regaining his form – netting in vital goals early in the season and receiving the Swan d'Or, an auspicious monthly Portuguese football award. However his form soon dipped and his goal tally climaxed at a total of just seven goals. He returned to Portsmouth in June 2007 after playing 23 games for the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
team.
His transfer from Kaizer Chiefs to Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
in August 2005 is one of those about which the Stevens inquiry report in June 2007 expressed concerns, because of the involvement of agent Willie McKay
Willie McKay
Willie McKay is a Scottish football agent based in Monaco. He is the agent of many top-level footballers, mainly based in England and France - specifically the Premier League...
.
On 4 August 2007, it was announced that Bursaspor
Bursaspor
Bursaspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Bursa. Formed in 1963, Bursaspor are nicknamed the Yeşil Timsahlar...
signed Mbesuma for an undisclosed amount.
On 17 September 2007, Mbesuma was fined 5000 Euros by Bursaspor for failing to return on time to his Turkish base after helping Zambia to beat South Africa in an African Cup of Nations
African Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations, also referred to as the African Cup of Nations or African Nations Cup, officially CAN , is the main international association football competition in Africa. It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football , and was first held in 1957. Since 1968, it has been...
qualifier. This kind of behaviour by Mbesuma was condemned and described as irresponsible by the Zambian FA (FAZ
Faz
FAZ may be an abbreviation for:*Football Association of Zambia*Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, a German newspaper*Financial Autonomous Zone, an economic proposal...
) Mbesuma has a long standing reputation of poor timekeeping. This problem dates back to his time at Zambian
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
outfit Roan United. In January 2008, Mbesuma was left off the Zambian national squad at the 2008 African Cup of Nations
2008 African Cup of Nations
The 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the MTN Africa Cup of Nations due to the competition's sponsorship by MTN, was the 26th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial football tournament for nations affiliated to the Confederation of African Football . The tournament was staged at...
after being declared unfit.http://www.sabcnews.com/sport/soccer/0,2172,162174,00.html
On 23 May 2008, Mbesuma mutually terminated his contract with Bursaspor and signed with Mamelodi Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns are a South African football club that plays in the Premier Soccer League.Since 2003, Sundowns are owned by rand billionaire Patrice Motsepe....
. After an unimpressive stints at Mamelodi Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns are a South African football club that plays in the Premier Soccer League.Since 2003, Sundowns are owned by rand billionaire Patrice Motsepe....
and then Moroka Swallows FC his contract was terminated at the end of the June 2010. After being clubless for several months he joined Golden Arrows
Golden Arrows
Golden Arrows are a South African football club based in Durban that participates in the Premier Soccer League.-History:Originally founded in 1943 in the dusty streets of Lamontville, a township in Durban, the club played in the defunct National Professional Soccer League in the 1970s until they...
on 20 December 2010 for a six month deal. He scored his first goals (a brace) against Amazulu
Amazulu
The amaZulu or Zulu people are a people of southern Africa.Amazulu or AmaZulu may also mean:* AmaZulu F.C. , a South African football club* AmaZulu F.C. , a defunct Zimbabwean football club...
on 16 January 2011.