Miles Sampa
Gone Too Soon Dr Joseph ‘Zenga’ Kabungo
He was about 2 years my junior at the University of Zambia main campus. He then took the medicine route and moved to Ridgeway Campus where I later was to be a regular visitor following up a ‘moma’ that was his classmate.
As I patronised the medical campus student centre (cafe) often each time I arrived as an import ‘mojo’, I got to interact with Joseph and his course or school mates. Some of those includes the now Health Ministry PS Dr George Magwende and Dr Shailen Desai that was RB’s personal doctor.
Joseph was the university fierce football team goal keeper codenamed Zenga (renown Italy National team goal keeper).
Along the way years later while playing madala football at the then Barclays sports complex, I found myself having to take a penalty and Zenga was the goalkeeper in the opponents team. I remember him taking a posture that in my eyes looked like he was ballooning bigger. Yes I missed the penalty from his intimidating outlook on the goal line. We would laugh about it each time we met.
When I was a committee member of the FAZ executive about 2011, he was the Chipolopolo team doctor. He was on the bench with Herve Renald as Coach in Libreville 2012 when Zambia lifted the Afcon Cup.
I remember screaming and hugging with Zenga on the pitch after the final whistle in Gabon, West Africa.
Turns out 10 years later Zenga would lose his life in the same West Africa region and inside a stadium.
Whatever jinx the region has with our football stars be it players or adminstrators, same as happened during the Gabon disaster, may Nigeria, CAF and FIFA account for the death of our beloved Zenga.
So long Dr Joseph Zenga Kabungo. MYSRIEP.
MBS31.03.2022