Zambia: Three Zambia Under-17 national team players have left for Madrid, Spain, on a one-year La Liga Talents programme, an academic sports programme.
The trio identified as Esther Musialela (Solwezi Queens Academy), Jesse Zulu (Green Buffaloes) and Theresa Musatila (Zesco Ndola Girls) was identified at the 2022 Region VI Games in Malawi where they were part of the Zambia Under-17 Women National Team that chalked silver.
Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) General Secretary Reuben Kamanga says the Spain outing for the girls was a moment of pride for the Association that had invested heavily in women’s football in the last few years.
Kamanga says getting players into Europe and other top leagues remained a priority for FAZ.
“This is a moment of pride for the Association and indeed the entire nation. We wish to thank Cosafa and La Liga for this partnership, which has opened doors for these youngsters,” he said.
Furthermore, he continued by saying, “Our message to the candidates on this program is that they should aim to excel as this will open doors for others. We are lucky that even their school will not suffer as the scholarship covers academic pursuits as well.”
Kamanga also adds: “We have just come off a historic FIFA World Cup appearance for the Copper Queens, and already it seems like the seed sown from that success is already blooming.”
La Liga Talents programme is an academic sports program organized by La Liga and held at the ESC Centre and NBA in Villaviciosa de Odon (Madrid) where the candidates will study and train.
The candidates were evaluated by the La Liga Sports Projects department. La Liga Talents programme is an international high performance football programme organized by La Liga.
Residents are congratulating the young champions. One of the users said, “Congratulations, young champs, you are welcome to Madri.”