Former Chipolopolo winger Clifford Mulenga has narrated in detail what transpired at the 2012 AfCON where he and four others were expelled for sneaking out of camp for a drinking spree.

And the former Mpumalanga ace star has revealed that it is common among footballers in camps to sneak in ladies for quick ‘relief sex’.

In a conversation with Kenndy Gondwe’s ‘Studio Ken’, Mulenga says he was in the company of four other players at the time but then Chipolopolo coach Herve Renard used him as a scapegoat and expelled him so that those who remained could learn a lesson.

He said the decision came as a shock to him.

“I was told that I had broken curfew for having gone out to drink. Yes, I did (go out to drink). It was a night that we had just won, qualified to the quarter finals. The guys that I went with felt like having a beer to celebrate. So, we just went out as a group; there were five of us that went out. We did not get permission from anyone but the captain knew about our going out so basically, the captain gave us permission to go. At that moment when you think of the team, I don’t think we were allowed to go but because we were in a celebrating mood, we felt it was ok to go out and have a few beers. I was used as a scapegoat to set an example; I believe because to start with, I was not the one who came up with the idea to go out,” Mulenga said.

“And when we came back from that outing, I was ok, I reported for breakfast as usual, there were two guys that did not report for breakfast. So, when they made a decision that I should leave, it did come as a shock to me as well. The morning after the outing, only three of us reported for breakfast, the other two did not because obviously they were drunk and had girls. Three of the guys did leave with girls that night and the two of us, me and Hichani Himonde didn’t leave with girls. People are going to start asking who these people were, I was with Hichani Himonde, he was the one who was slapped by the coach. I was almost punched but my phone was thrown against the wall, he (Renard) actually owes me a phone, I am going to tell him.”

And Mulenga said sneaking in women in camps for quick ‘relief sex’ is common among footballers.

“I have a tendency of protecting my friends and had I told the coach that others brought girls; it could have been a bigger issue. It’s a very common issue (bringing ladies in camp for sex). Sometimes you stay in camp for a long time and you just want to relieve yourself. So, we did bring some girls. I regret not speaking out at that moment, I should have told the coach that we were five out us and I should have told him what happened the previous night because I didn’t even have a girl at that moment, the only mistake I made was to drink a beer and go out,” Mulenga continued.

“For some of us, sex makes us loosen up, it makes us loosen up because you know when you have been training for too long, you kind of get tense and heavy and you want a way to get the blood flowing as you call it. It depends with the kind of sex you are having. Relief sex, quick sex, bang-bang, thank you, I feel good. Next time that’s it.”

The 2007 Young African Footballer of the year said emotions had gotten the better part of him his entire career and cost him life changing opportunities.

“I think it’s because of my past with the national team, I have had my run-in with the national team previously and people were aware of it and if they told people that I was the mischievous one in that camp, people would easily believe it instead of the guys that were actually in the wrong that night. I’m an emotional person, at times I tend to react immediately at that moment and regret later. I like things to go my way so when things don’t go my way, I react badly,” he explained.

“Unfortunately for me, I have been unable to control my emotions in crucial moments like that, for example at that tournament, we were the team of the tournament and we were beating everyone easily but when we faced the host team, we struggled to find a goal and I was almost scoring a goal and that guy tackled me so in that moment of frustration, I reacted badly, ended up hitting him and I was sent off. I guess I never learnt in time that my emotions were costing me a lot of opportunities.”

He said he intends to play on for two more seasons before hanging his boots.

“People that know me will tell you that I’m strict with my mind and usually people mistake that as being arrogant. The longest I have stayed at a club is two years; the rest of the time, it’s just a season and I move. Like I said earlier on, when things don’t go my way, I feel like I need to move on. I guess I just made bad decisions a lot of times and they cost me a lot. I can’t go back and rectify, but going forward, I have learnt my lessons. And I am thankful to people like Simataa Simataa and (former President) Rupiah Banda, they tried to show me the right way. I still want to play. I actually want to play here in Zambia so I’m hoping Zanaco can sign me but we will see how it goes,” said Mulenga.