Category Archives: Sports

Posted in Sports

Pele is Dead: What do we Remember?

By

by

Mwizenge S. Tembo, Ph. D.

Emeritus Professor of Sociology

Where were you and what were you doing when you heard the news that the greatest football or soccer player in the world Pele had died? I was eating lunch alone in Virginia in the United States at the dining room table in my house as the TV CNN news channel was running. The announcer said “CNN Breaking News”.  Once I heard that Pele had died, my hand froze with the next bite of the piece of watermelon I was eating and chewing to finish my lunch. I paused for about a minute to just let the news sink in. I felt terrible but not shocked. Pele had been in the hospital during the recent world cup that had ended just a few days before on December 18 when we watched the World Cup final between Argentina and France. I was sad. I knew I and the world were going to miss Pele’s genuine happy bright smile. Boy, did he have passion for what he called the beautiful game of football or soccer?

My immitation of Pele at my age of 69 years in backyard when he died.

My immediate reaction was “Who can I talk to about Pele”? Ten years ago, I would have picked up my cell phone to call Zambia to talk to my uncle who had introduced me to the legend of Pele in 1969. But my Uncle Mr. JJ Mayovu died in 2014. I would have called my friend and University of Zambia classmate Dr.  Vincent Musakanya who lived in the UK. But he also passed away October 9 2019.

Since Pele was born in 1940 and died in 2022 at 82 years old, there are perhaps billions of people who have died who lived, saw, heard about, even played with and enjoyed the football legend’s breath-taking plays. After exploring all his football achievement statistics, what can we reminisce from Pele playing spectacular football on the world stage for nearly 20 years from 1957 to 1977. There are numerous questions that one can ask about Pele the legend. You can ask the millions and perhaps billions of people in the world when did you hear about Pele and how? For those to have been fortunate enough to see him play, when did they see him and what did they think? Some of the most bitter disagreements football fans may have today is how would Pele fare in today’s football? In spite his fame, were there players during Pele’s era who were better than him?

First Time

Later to be nicknamed Pele, Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, in rural Brazil on 23 October 1940. He died          on 29 December 2022 (aged 82) in the city of  São Paulo in Brazil.

I was 372 miles or 600 Kms. away from the Capital City of Lusaka in rural Chipata in the Eastern Province of Zambia attending the prestigious Chizongwe Secondary School in Form III or Grade 9 in 1969. My uncle and aunt invited me to spend the August school holidays at their home in North mead in Lusaka. That first weekend my uncle took me to Woodlands Stadium to watch City of Lusaka hosting Mufulira Wanderers. It was my first time to see the famous Zoom Ndlovu. I saw him make a wonderful creative intelligent play worthy of the beautiful game of football.

Wearing Pele’s Number 10 jersey at my age of 69 years when he died.

Zoom was in the middle of his short swift crisp graceful passes to his team mates as they were building an attack against City of Lusaka. Zoom had intercepted a pass and had possession of the ball rolling it along as if looking to pass it. He stopped. He suddenly bolted forward taking his defender with him. Zoom did not have the ball. He had left it deliberately sitting on the ground. Zoom’s teammate took the ball. It was a pass to his teammate who had been nearby. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. “Z-o-o-m!!!!!” was the loud cheer from the crowd. I excitedly clapped as my uncle and I looked at each other with sheer amazement and pleasure at what Zoom was doing.

When we got home that evening, that is when my uncle told me about Pele. In a very excited tone, my uncle said Pele was a great player from Brazil who was probably ten times better than Zoom. “He can dribble or nyunya past a forest of 6 to 8 defenders and easily score with either foot. He can keep the ball in the air kicking and heading it two to three times past defenders and shoot a bullet to score. His headers are deadly. He creates fear in all defenders because of his dribbling, speed and agility!!!” I was hooked on Pele from that evening in August 1969. This was a time news was available in major newspapers only in large cities of the world. Widespread TV, the internet and the cell phone were 31 years away. But somehow the legend of Pele spread like wildfire to the remotest parts of the world.

The Role of the Internet

Instead of just hearing about Pele or reading about him from pundits like this author, the advantage of the internet today is that there is tons of information, history, books, and especially video clips, documentaries, and films of Pele. Over the last twenty years, I have spent countless times on Saturday nights watching video clips of Pele’s best plays and some old black and white films from the 1950s. You can check things for yourself. The problem in Zambia and perhaps most of the Third World is that the internet cell phone bundles cost so much that it is difficult and costly to watch just even a few old video clips.

Pele at the peak of his prolific scoring career. Pele’s headers were deadly.

Some of the video clips are the ones which show reactions from players from teams that played against Pele. The players attest that it was impossible to mark and defend against Pele. The man scored at least one goal in every game of the more than one thousand games in which he played.

Last Goal

I was fortunate enough to see the last goal of his entire professional career. I saw it on black and white TV when I was a graduate student doing my Master’s Degree at Michigan State University in Michigan in the United States. This was on 1st October 1977.  Pele’s professional football team at the time was the New York Cosmos in the United States. The team played the exhibition game against the Santos Football Club of Brazil.

I watched Pele take a free kick from about 30 yards or 28 meters from the goal. There was no wall of defenders in front of the free kick. The goalkeeper looked alert and ready. Pele struck the ball the way he had done for nearly twenty years. Like a Tomahawk jet powered laser guided ballistic cruise missile, the ball travelled just 32mm or 12 inches above the smooth football ground surface grass toward its target. The goalkeeper dove to the ground to block the bullet. By the time the goalkeeper had hit the ground, the ball was behind him and bouncing in the corner of the net. The crowd roared.

Soccer was still very unknown in the United States. So, I was watching that last game alone in my dormitory room. Pele had done it again for the last time. This is why in all of his interviews, Pele says his spectacular skills, unbelievable instincts during the game, passion, and love for the beautiful game of football or soccer was a gift from God. Indeed, he was a gift from God to the world that will never happen again. There will never be another Pele.

Posted in General • Sports

Dennis Liwewe: Zambia Vs. British Colonials

By

by

Mwizenge S. Tembo, Ph. D.

Author of “Satisfying Zambian Hunger for Culture”.

Professor of Sociology

Dennis Liwewe’s  greatest radio commentary in his illustrious career was perhaps the football game that took place at Woodlands Stadium on October 23, 1964. This was twelve hours before Zambia’s independence from British colonialism on October 24, 1964. The old scratchy sounding audio tape of that greatest game was forgotten in the dark back shelves of the then Northern Rhodesia Broadcasting Services, later ZNBC and Zambia Information Services. A patriotic Zambian whisked overnight by air to me the old audio tape for computer digital reconfiguring by the crack team of the University’s Information Technology Center. Since parts of the audio tape have deteriorated over the last 49 years, some parts of the football game are missing with lots of crackling shhhhh transistor sounds.

Dennis Liwewe: Shhhhh…..”Good afternoon to my fellow  2 million Northern Rhodesians who in exactly 12 hours are to break away the shackles of colonialism and oppression to become citizens of the free great and independent nation of Zambia and a new member of the United Nations. I am broadcasting from Woodlands stadium on a bright sunny hot October afternoon. The Zambian side has fielded a team that has the least experience in playing football  as for many years the players were involved in the struggle for freedom. The British Colonial team is fielding their best many of whom are seasoned veterans who have played in top English Football clubs. The Zambians have tremendous heart and determination against the British Colonials team which has all the experience. Starting lineup for the Zambian side is number one Goal Keeper  Grey Zulu, number two the sweeper who is the back bone of the Zambian defense is Munukayumbwa Sipalo…….Shhhh!!!!! [tape breaks away]

Dennis Liwewe: Shhh!!!! “…..Peter Matoka passes the ball to Arthur Wina, Arthur Wina the brother to Sikota Wina passes it to Dingiswayo Banda or “Dingi” the half back. He is challenged and loses the ball to Godwin Hunter of the British Colonials. Hunter passes the ball to Sir Edgar Willimson the midfielder  of the British who quickly picks up momentum. The British are on the attack!! John Mwanakatwe challenges but is beaten, the ball is crossed to Alexender Chambarlain the British left forward who chases the ball to Zambia’s left corner flag. John Mwanakatwe, Dingiswayo Banda and Reuben Kamanga all challenge the intruder. This is a dangerous situation for Zambia’s inexperienced team. Alexander Chambarlain like a magician dribbles the ball and breaks through the cordon of the three Zambian  defenders. Chambarlain has only Munukayumbwa Sipalo to beat!!!! Sipalo slide tackles Chamberlain… the ball bounces out of bounds for Britain’s seventh corner!!!  Ya! Ya! Ya!!!! Britain’s seventh corner!  [Loud uhhhhh!!! From the crowd]. Shhhhh!!!! [Tape Breaks up]

Dennis Liwewe: Shhhhh!!! “……Five minutes before the end of the first half and the score is still zero zero. Chambarlain will take the corner kick from the left side of Zambia’s goal. Goal keeper Grey Zulu has to be alert. Zambia has packed everybody in the penalty box. The corner kick sails above the front of the goal. Sir Roy Welensky heads the ball into Zambia’s penalty area in a dangerous situation!! Commotion in front of  Zambia’s goal area!!!! Away!!! Sipalo clears it away in a dangerous situation!!! ….. The referee has blown his whistle… it is half time. The score is zero zero. Zambia has to regroup if we are to win this game. The front line of Simon Kapwepwe, Kenneth Kaunda, and Mainza Chona have to produce goals. The midfield and Munukayumbwa Sipalo and the defenders have worked so hard to keep the bombarding British at bay for 45 minutes……..”[Break in the tape]

Dennis Liwewe: Shhh!!!!!!    “…….both teams are tired.. it is 40 minutes into the second half and the score is still zero zero. It has been a hard fought game.  Here come the British Colonials again launching an attack. Full back Phillip Limestone passes the ball to Chester Clifford, Clifford to Brandon Bentonbarbour, Bentonbarbour to Sir Edgar Williamson as the Zambians are packing in the defenses. Peter Matoka, Reuben Kamanga Simon Kalulu, Simon Kapwepwe and Kenneth Kaunda are all in the back field to repel the British attack. The dangerous left forward Alexander Chamberlain has the ball as he is challenged by John Mwanakatwe. It rolls out for a throw in to British Colonials. The long throw in lands in Zambia’s danger zone as the British are bombarding us with guns, tanks and the air force and we Zambians have only bows and arrows. Striker Sir Row Welensky kicks the ball over the cross bar for a goal kick to Zambia.  Goal Keeper Grey Zulu quickly takes the long goal kick. The British defenders had moved to near center field!!!!  It is a now a race between Kapwepwe and Kaunda and the experienced British full backs Braxton and Phillip Limestone!!!!!……Kapwepwe is going!!! he is  running with the ball on the left flank towards the British goal and Kenneth Kaunda is running on the right flank towards the British goal!! The British defenders are left behind… Simmon Kapwepwe has only the goalie Bradley Carpenter to beat, Kapwepwe passes the ball to Kaunda …..it’s a g-o-a-l!!!!!!!!!!! Kenneth Kaunda it’s a goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  One zero Zambia is leading the British Colonials!!! Kaunda is running around leaping in the air pumping his fist as Kapwepwe embraces him. The team has mobbed Kaunda in a big pile of celebration. Zambia’s reserves on the bench have cleared and run on to the field  to join the team in a wild celebration; Lewis Changufu, Aaron Milner, Sikota Wina, Nalumino Mundia, Justin Chimba, Elija Mudenda including the only white member of the Zambian team James Skinner. Even the youngest player who is only 18 years old Vernom Mwaanga had joined the team on the field!!!![loud deafening noise from the crowd][Break in the tape]

Dennis Liwewe: Shhhhh!!!!! “…..the referee has finally cleared the field…..two minutes to go in injury time of the greatest game ever for Zambia. Zambia leads one zero over the British Colonials. The Zambians  have packed everybody in defense. The referee is looking at his watch. He has blown his whistle. Zambia wins the game One Zero!!!!!! There will be celebrations to day from Kalabo to Mpulungu, from Livingstone to Kafulafuta to Mwinilunga to Chipata…… [tape break] shhh!!!!!!!

Post Script: I had tears in my eyes as I listened to this tape of the great Dennis Liwewe. If ever a country is given a gift from God it is Dennis Liwewe as a gift to all Zambians. As a Zambian who spent many years listening to Dennis Liwewe on those Sunday afternoons, my hope is that when I die, I will go to heaven. There will a football game there between God’s Angels Eleven versus the Chipolopolo Boys or the KK eleven. I will not want to watch the game on TV if there is one in heaven but will instead  listen to the radio commentary of the game by the Great Dennis Liwewe. That will be second heaven to me while I am already in heaven. May Dennis Liwewe’s Soul Rest in Peace.

Posted in Sports

The Importance of Violent Sports?

By

It was third down and 18 yards. The running back was pulled out. Everyone in the stadium including my dog watching the game on TV at home knew it was an obvious pass play. The ball was snapped. The receivers scrambled deep down field taking a swarm of defenders with them. The defense had backed off a mile leaving the right flank grand canyon open. The quarter back went through a fake throwing motion and then tucked the ball under his arm and scrambled for the long 18 million miles. The 2 nearest defensive backs froze as they realized it was a designed play and steamed toward the quarter back. I was standing three feet from the point of rendezvous near the sideline trying to get the best photo action of my amateur life. As the two goods trains approached horning on the hapless quarterback, I instinctively backed off for my own safety as in a split second I saw and heard a massive earth shaking collision as the three massive colliding bodies landed out of bounds with the target quarter back sprawled on his back. There was a collective ooooh! from the crowd. I had visions of an ambulance. But I was surprised as the quarterback sprung up instantly and ran back to the huddle. The crowd clapped. The team had made a risky an unexpected first down.

ViolentSportsThe fall football season is here as thousands of Americans play the game and millions enjoy watching the game from coast to coast from pewee football for small boys, to high school, college and the professionals. The game is so violent that the National Football League has just agreed to pay close to $800 million to pay thousands of retired players for dementia or other brain injuries including concussions they blame on the violent, bone-crunching collisions. In spite all the known dangers, why do men and boys still subject themselves to such a violent and dangerous game?

The explanation and answer for some among the politically correct public may be that men just need to tone down their extreme dangerous testosterone -induced reckless machismo that puts themselves and society at grave risk. But this solution may create even more and worse problems. Although  boys, men, girls, and women may all have a competitive desire, the vast majority of boys and men may have a unique biologically based testosterone-driven aggressive drive that probably reaches its peak between the age of 16 and 28.

This author had a least athletic, puny, malaria and schistosomiasis-tropical disease ravaged body as a boy as a late blooming teenager. But out of the blue at the age of 19 the aggressive drive compelled him in college to try playing rugby and soccer. He even tried boxing for only about 60 seconds. The best thing that happened was at the age of 20, he attended the intense three months National Service military boot camp training with 300 other University of Zambia students. His body and mind were pushed to the limit. As he was being interviewed a few years later by an African-American counselor official to get his visa to come to graduate school, the official asked him if he would be playing American football. The official must have been joking as the author weighed a miserly 120 lbs, and waist size 29.

The concussions and life threatening injuries including the danger of sometimes training in 100 degree dangerous seething heat with hardnosed barking coaches during the football season will not go away. Instead, society and communities should create better legitimate opportunities for everyone but especially boys and men to express their testosterone -induced aggressive drive. This aggressive drive may have helped human communities survive during the earlier stages of human evolution. But that drive will not just go way. If it is suppressed unnecessarily, it may be expressed in other more dangerous, harmful and dysfunctional ways for communities.

September 17, 2013 – by  Mwizenge S. Tembo, Ph. D.