Joseph Kamwendo
| Joseph Kamwendo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Joseph Kamwendo October 23, 1986 Blantyre |
| Residence | Malawi |
| Nationality | Malawian |
| Occupation |
|
| Employer | Be Forward Wanderers |
| Organization | Football Association of Malawi |
| Known for | Being the first foreigner to be named Soccer Star of the Year in Zimbabwean football history |
Joseph Kamwendo is a former Malawian footballer and former assistant technical director at Be Forward Wanderers in Malawi. He is a former player for CAPS United Football Club as an attacking midfielder. He is the Malawi U20 coach. He joined CAPS United at the beginning of the 2005 season as a free agent from MTL Wanderers of Malawi.
Background
He was born on the 23rd of October in 1986 in Blantyre, Malawi. He was part of the CAPS United Football Club team that retained the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League title in 2005 under the guidance of coach Charles Mhlauri. He went on to be voted that year's Soccer Star of the Year after stellar performances for the Green Machine.[1]
Career
Kamwendo played for Mighty Wanderers before he joined CAPS United Football Club at the beginning of the 2005 season in the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League. After impressing at CAPS United, Kamwendo left for the Danish side Nordsjaelland in 2006. He went on to play for clubs like TP Mazembe in the DRC where he won the CAF Champions League with them and also winning local league titles in the process. He was to also sign for South African giants Orlando Pirates Football Club. He played 93 times for the Flames of Malawi scoring 5 times in the process.
Kamwendo joined Orlando Pirates in 2007, two years after starring for domestic Premiership giants CAPS United, where he won the league title and the Soccer Star of the Year award. Sixteen years later, Kamwendo remains the only foreigner to have won the Premiership’s top gong. He was crowned on December 9, 2005 but never got to enjoy the prize money, which was donated to charity after a clash of interests between then league sponsors Econet Wireless Zimbabwe and CAPS United’s sponsor NetOne Zimbabwe.
He was so good that Orlando Pirates fans nicknamed him “Shakira” because his legs did not lie, just like the Colombian singer’s hips, in the hit song “Hips Don’t Lie” released in 2005. Shakira twerks in that video, the same way Malawian Joseph Kamwendo shook defenders with that amazing left foot, prompting the Buccaneers fans to nickname him after the Colombian songstress.
Kamwendo retired in 2019 at Mighty Wanderers, the team where he launched his career that briefly took him to Denmark before winning a CAF Champions League medal with TP Mazembe in 2015. He described winning the CAF Champions League medal as his “highest point”, but regards winning the Soccer Star award in Zimbabwe as the “best feeling” of his career.
“Here in Africa, winning the Champions League is a dream for all players. I won it with TP Mazembe and I will regard that as the highest point of my career. When you talk about African club football you talk of the Champions League.”
The former Flames skipper played for nine teams in a 16-year career, but holds CAPS United in high esteem. Kamwendo played for Mighty Wanderers, CAPS United, Nordsjaelland in Denmark, Orlando Pirates, LD Maputo, Vasco Da Gama, TP Mazembe, Don Bosco and, Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila.[2]
Teams Played For
- MTL Wanderers Football Club (Malawi).
- CAPS United Football Club (Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League)
- Nordsjaelland Football Club (Denmark)
- Orlando Pirates Football Club (South Africa)
- TP Mazembe Football Club (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- Don Bosco
- Vasco Da Gama
- Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila
- LD Maputo
Awards
- 2005 Buddie Soccer Star of the Year (CAPS United)
- Buddie Premier Soccer League winner (2005 with CAPS United)
- CAF Champions League winner (2014/2015)
References
