‘I only got petrol money’
When striker James Chamanga decided to return home to Zambia in 2019 with the intention of continuing with his playing career after close to a dozen years in China, he was ridiculed as being finished and way too old.
He was also counting down to his 40th birthday and had not played football for a year.
In fact, he spent the last six months of his time in China working as a technical director, a position that he had to relinquish as he didn’t have the minimum UEFA C licence qualification.
It was Zambian Air Force club Red Arrows who brought him back home, and at the end of his first season, Chamanga was the league’s top scorer with 16 goals as modest Arrows finished in 10th position.
Now the former Moroka Swallows striker has half of the league’s clubs lining up for his services, including those that had dismissed him as being too old.
“The deal with Arrows was that we would only talk about a contract this season after I have proven myself,” the striker says.
“Last season I only got petrol money and was being paid the same bonus as everyone else because I didn’t want to be treated any different,” adds Chamanga, who turns 41 in February.
“After proving my worth, they have
