On Trial - Stoppila Sunzu

[SPARTA]

Arsenal fans a little rattled by this tonight. Some saying Sunzu is the next Tiote, others a Beast, and the rest baffled that Reading lead the chase for him and what the f**k is Arsene doing...

[SydenhamRoyal]

I wonder what caused Stoppy to choose to be a centre back - is this the ultimate example of nominative determinism?

[SPARTA]

I wonder what caused Stoppy to choose to be a centre back - is this the ultimate example of nominative determinism?

Interesting one. At 17 he was a striker, and that's when we first took a look at him. Then apparently he moved to CDM and now CB. Useful shot on him then I imagine.

[Rex]

Arsenal fans a little rattled by this tonight. Some saying Sunzu is the next Tiote, others a Beast, and the rest baffled that Reading lead the chase for him and what the f**k is Arsene doing...

Informing them to put up or shut up.

[Drew_3]

Got a link? I love looking on other teams forums at the dismay when turned over by "little 'ol Reading!"

[Divvy]

According to Twitter he is at the hotel now with BMc and NH, need Boots on the ground with a smartphone

According to Fridays Legacy, bringing us insider news, whether it's our business to know it or not.

Still usually reliable though.

On Twitter? What's his @handle?

Does gazza_loyalroyal have one too?

[royal67]

Got a link? I love looking on other teams forums at the dismay when turned over by "little 'ol Reading!"

Here's one:
http://arsenal-mania.com/forum/viewtopi ... &start=120

[Lacoste]

I don't get it - why are we announcing this? Surely it just gives the opportunity for others to get in on the deal?
It's not like the fans and media need to know about this guy until he's signed??

It's because we want to wave our big black willy around basically. Nicky Hammond's own personal FU to Arsenal.

Yes, he's on trial with us but he's good enough for Arsenal and we have out bid them.

[DOYLERSAROYALER]

I don't get it - why are we announcing this? Surely it just gives the opportunity for others to get in on the deal?
It's not like the fans and media need to know about this guy until he's signed??

It's because we want to wave our big black willy around basically. Nicky Hammond's own personal FU to Arsenal.

Yes, he's on trial with us but he's good enough for Arsenal and we have out bid them.

Let's wait until he's pictured holding hands with Madejski signing his contract with a bic whilst Mad pulls out his Mont Blanc ...we've been here before with signing players...fat lady isn't quite singing yet on this one...

[Big Ern]

He's big, he's black, thats all we need to know. Sign him up.

[Dave the rave]

He's big, he's black, thats all we need to know. Sign him up.

Scans well but doesn't rhyme.

[melonhead]

I wonder what caused Stoppy to choose to be a centre back - is this the ultimate example of nominative determinism?

Interesting one. At 17 he was a striker, and that's when we first took a look at him. Then apparently he moved to CDM and now CB. Useful shot on him then I imagine.

very inexperienced to come in and play CB in the prem, with very little game time at CB, and in a league that is very far from the prem.
its a pretty specialised position

[mikey0406]

Titus Bramble has made a career of out pretending to be a centre half in the Premier League...

[creative_username_1]

Titus Bramble has made a career of out pretending to be a centre half in the Premier League...

I'm gonna guess that he's not as bad as everyone perceives (but prone to the odd high profile gaff)

[Royal With Cheese]

Titus Bramble has made a career of out pretending to be a centre half in the Premier League...

Just as an aside, how many prem apprearances has Bramble made?

[maffff]

Zambia happy for Sunzu

Zambia say they are happy with the opportunity for their key defender Stopilla Sunzu to go to Reading this week, even though he is a key component of their squad for the African Nations Cup finals.

The centre back travelled to London at the weekend for a trial with the Premier League strugglers with the blessing of his football association, a week before his side begin their defence of the African title at the tournament in South Africa.

"The Zambia national team will always be there but opportunities like this do not come around often in a player's career so we were happy to let him go," said Football Association of Zambia president Kalusha Bwalya, himself a former professional in Belgium, the Netherlands and Mexico.

"We have agreed with Reading, his club TP Mazembe and ourselves that he takes up this chance. Reading were quite insistent on seeing him so it is a good sign," he told Reuters on Tuesday.

"Ultimately it is advantageous to our team to have players from clubs at the highest level."

Bwalya said it had been agreed that Sunzu would travel to South Africa by Friday.

"He will have enough time to have recovered from the journey by the time we play our first game."

Sunzu's long journey mirrors that of Burkina Faso winger Jonathan Pitroipa who has left his team's Nations Cup training camp to return to France to try to help Stade Rennes reach the French League Cup final.

Pitroipa is due to fly to South Africa, where Burkina Faso have been drawn in the same group as Zambia, on Thursday after Wednesday's semifinal against Montpellier.

Zambia, who have arrived at their base in Nelspruit, open the defence of their Nations Cup title against Ethiopia on Monday.

The 23-year-old Sunzu played every match of Zambia's successful run at the last finals in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon 12 months ago, converting the winning kick in the post-final penalty shootout that won his country their first Nations Cup title.

http://www.supersport.com/football/afri ... to_England

[floyd__streete]

Hey this is crazy
And I just met you
Here's my number
Stoppila Sunzu

[paultheroyal]

Hey this is crazy
And I just met you
Here's my number
Stoppila Sunzu

If I hear this sung loud and proud at a Reading match - track me down and i will buy you a pint.

[MouldyRoyal]

Hey this is crazy
And I just met you
Here's my number
Stoppila Sunzu

And some other teams,
They tried to sign you,
Here's my number
Stoppila Sunzu.

[maffff]

Sunzu should have waited – Renard
By IGNATIUS MAZEKO -

CHIPOLOPOLO coach Herve Renard has said defender Stoppila Sunzu has been rushed to settle for English Premier League relegation fighting side Reading because money has proved to be more important in African soccer than planning a player’s career.

Sunzu arrived in the Royal County of Berkshire in England on Monday for a four-day training stay with Reading, who are expected to seal a deal with the 23-year-old towering defender by Friday.

Renard said in an interview from Nelspruit, South Africa yesterday that a bigger team than Reading would have signed on Sunzu if he had waited for the end of the Orange 2013 Africa Cup of Nations that kicks off in South Africa on Saturday.

“If he was my son, I would have told him to play a very good Africa Cup and he would have gone to a better team because in my opinion he can play for a big team. But my opinion is not important. In Africa, money is more important than to plan for a players’ career,” he said.

When first asked to comment on Sunzu’s move to ‘The Royals’, Renard responded with a three word answer, “simply the best.”

“When I say ‘simply the best’, it means there is a reason about my thought on Sunzu,” said the Frenchman, who converted Sunzu from a defensive midfielder to a reputable central defender when he first came to Zambia after the 2008 Africa Cup.

But Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Kalusha Bwalya told Reuters that “The Zambia national team will always be there but opportunities like this do not come around often in a player’s career so we were happy to let him go,”

“We have agreed with Reading, his club TP Mazembe and ourselves that he takes up this chance. Reading were quite insistent on seeing him so it is a good sign. “Ultimately it is advantageous to our team to have players from clubs at the highest level.”

Reading reaffirmed in a statement published on the team’s website yesterday what DR Congo side TP Mazembe had said on Sunday that Sunzu would spend four days training with The Royals.

“Central defender Sunzu, 23, has been given permission by Zambia and his club TP Mazembe to temporarily leave his country’s Africa Cup of Nations squad, in order to train with the Royals and be assessed by our coaching staff,” said Reading.

The Brian McDermott-coached Reading said Sunzu would rejoin Chipolopolo in Nelspruit later this week ahead of the African champions’ Orange Africa Cup Group C opening match against Ethiopia set for Monday at Mbombela Stadium.

Sunzu attended trials at Reading after featuring for Zambia’s Under-20 squad at the 2007 FIFA World Youth Cup that was held in Canada but he was not signed on because he could not obtain a work permit.

McDermott told BBC Radio Berkshire and Reading Players that he is happy with the business he has done so far in this winter transfer window, and says more deals could be possible if the right players came up.

http://www.times.co.zm/?p=26888