DEDICATED FOLLOWERS OF FASHION
SAKALA TAKING STRENGTH FROM BEING A ROLE MODEL BACK IN HIS NATIVE ZAMBIA
WHEN a talented footballer is named Fashion, he learns to live with the status of a catwalk poster boy. Moving to Russia at the age of 17, Fashion Sakala never regarded his new-found celebrity as a burden. He wanted to become a role model for the people of Zambia.
Spotted by Spartak Moscow after playing in the team which won the Africa Under-20 Cup of Nations, the journey was never easy. At times, the culture shock was almost as stark as the temperatures.
When team-mates complained of the cold, he refused to stray from the straight and narrow because he wanted to prove that footballers from Zambia could cut it in Europe.
He wanted to make people from the village where he hunted animals in the morning and played football in the afternoon proud.
Moving to KV Oostende in Belgium, he claimed 16 goals in 33 appearances. And, after joining Rangers this summer, his first competitive goal against Motherwell last weekend made banner headlines back home.
For the first time, highlights of Scottish football are now freely available on Zambian television.
‘It’s something that’s helped me to keep going,’ admits the 24-year-old. ‘Looking at where I have come from, I have been a role model to a lot of people.
‘People just didn’t think a football player would come from there. But I have made it to reach this level, and I believe I am still going. Being a role model is something that helps me to keep going.
‘I believe I have to stay disciplined and I have to stay committed to the work — and work extra hard — so I continue inspiring a lot of people from my area in the country. That gives me more courage and confidence to work extra hard, to be that role model for a long period of time in my country.’
Speaking in July, Steven Gerrard described the striker as an unpolished diamond. Bright, friendly and engaging, Sakala is grateful for the opportunity he has earned in life. He takes his responsibilities — and the effort needed to see them through — seriously.
‘I think it is helping me because, if I didn’t have to consider it as a responsibility, then maybe I would have been acting badly and not committing myself to hard work or not being positive, he says.
‘So I think the responsibility I am carrying on my shoulders makes me stay on a positive straight line.’
Where young footballers are routinely portrayed now as a slightly spoiled Nando’s generation, pitching up for training in SUVs, Sakala was forced to do things the hard way.
Speaking to the BBC when he signed for Rangers, he owned up to hunting animals at the age of nine. Always a matter of survival rather than bloodlust, football was a means of escaping the poverty of life in eastern Zambia.
Moving to Chingola to play for Nchanga Rangers, he dreamed of playing football professionally. When the call finally came, it stemmed — unexpectedly — from Russia with love.
‘When I went to Russia young, it was very difficult just looking at the weather,’ he admits.
‘In Zambia, it is hot and in Russia at that time, it was like minus 20 degrees. So it was very cold and hard for me to come from 40 degrees to minus 20.
‘It was a very big culture change but, at the same time, I tried to be very positive. I went there with three players from Africa and the other players kept on complaining about the weather.’
Even the Russian clouds blowing in from Siberia came with a silver lining. But for the hardship of the Moscow winters, he suspects, he would have found it harder acclimatising to a new life in Glasgow.
Sakala admits: ‘Maybe if I came to Scotland direct, I would have been complaining about the weather as well…
‘But I’ve been to Russia and coming to Scotland is a little bit easy compared to that. Moscow was a very good step to take.
‘I think, looking at my journey for me to reach here, I have gone through a lot. But I have always tried to stay positive and to keep working hard. It has been a tough journey. But, at the same time, I am very proud of it and things are bright and positive.
‘I still have the belief that there is more to come in the future.’
While his first competitive goal failed to deliver three points against Motherwell, it was an important step in his development as a Rangers player.
‘I think it was the beginning of me getting my confidence,’ he says. ‘It was a good feeling.
‘Unfortunately, we drew — and drawing at Ibrox is like a loss for us. We really wanted to win the game. That was the positive aim we had before the game, so I was very happy when I scored but, after the game, disappointed because we didn’t win. But from the time I came here, I have been very happy, very excited. ‘Everything looks bright. ‘I had an injury a few weeks ago. I think that’s the only problem that frustrated me a little bit. Now I’m really happy.
‘I’m back to full fitness and I’m getting my confidence again. I think I have a lot to offer the club.’
In time, Sakala hopes to bring pleasure both to fans of Rangers and to the people of Zambia.
That process has already taken one important step ahead of tonight’s Premier Sports Cup quarter-final clash with Livingston at Ibrox.
‘Before I came here, we didn’t have coverage of the Scottish league in Zambia,’ he says. ‘But immediately, when I signed for Rangers, they gave us access to watch the Scottish league. So they always watch when we are playing here.’ lFashion Junior was speaking at a Premier Sports Cup event. Premier Sports is available on Sky, Virgin TV and the Premier Player. Prices start from £12.99 per month.