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‘Nowadays players become satisfied easier because they only need one season to buy a house and car’

In the aftermath of the DStv Premiership top scorer award being won by only 12 goals, previous winner James Chamanga has voiced his concerns.

Chamanga was the league's top scorer (2007/08) with 14 goals despite playing only 21 games before leaving for the Chinese Super League.

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Not only was he the top scorer in the season he left but he also scored five goals past Platinum Stars' Wayne Sandilands in one match and that record still stands up to this day.

The past season (2022/23) had Khanyisa Mayo and Peter Shalulile as joint top scorers with 12 goals each through a campaign in which 30 league games were played.

Since the start of the PSL era in the 1996/97 season, it has been only on five occasions that the top scorer reached at least 20 league goals with Collins Mbesuma's haul of 25 from the 2004/05 season still unshaken.

"There is a bit of inconsistency with the young ones because their goals and ambitions seem to be a bit low," says Chamanga who top scored at the clubs he played for in the PSL – Bush Bucks, SuperSport United and Moroka Swallows.

"We need to remove that shyness in them and revamp their goals and dream so that they set their standards a bit higher.

"You can't be the top scorer this year and then only score three the next season.

"It is a problem," says Chamanga.

Chamanga scored five goals in this match against P

Has scoring become difficult?

Chamanga argues that the locals should challenge the foreign players harder than they are doing in scoring goals.

Of the top 14 scorers last season in the DStv Premiership, the non-South Africans contingent dominated with eight over six locals.

"The competition has become diluted and so easy for someone like Peter Shalulile at Mamelodi Sundowns. 

"The local players are not giving the foreign players more competition despite making up the most numbers at all the teams.

"At times I feel like the local players want to have it easy and don't have the drive to aim higher.

 PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - MARCH 14: Peter Shalulile

"Scoring hasn't become difficult because in Europe goals are still raining with players breaking records.

"With us here in Africa nobody is interested in doing that because Ntofontofo's (Collins Mbesuma) record of 25 league goals is still standing just like my record of five goals in one game.

"The young ones don't have the ambition anymore.

"It has died.

 Collins Mbesuma (Zambia)

"Internet has taken too much of their time because they don't really work hard anymore.

"I don't think they put in the effort in doing extras and thriving to make sure that they do better than they did the previous season.

"Another issue at hand is money which is more nowadays in the game.

"These young ones play one season and get to have a house and a car and feel like they have already achieved.

Kaizer Chiefs target Khanyisa Mayo won the top awa

"So, they get satisfied too quickly.

"With us you had to play for five seasons before you buy one house which meant you have to continue working hard.

"But nowadays a player only needs one season at Sundowns, Chiefs, Pirates or even here in Zambia at ZESCO United or Power Dynamos then you can buy a house and that makes a player satisfied.

"The younger ones need to be told that they can do better than what they are doing now," says Chamanga.

 

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