SPORTS minister Moses Mawere says Zambian football icon Kalusha Bwalya must apologize to Zambians for voting against fellow countryman Rainford Kalaba at the 2016 CAF awards.

Mawere said Kalusha had betrayed Zambians who had always stood for him in his career.

“Let Kalusha find it in his heart to apologize to the Zambian people because Kalaba’s award was meant for Zambia. We have always stood for him when he wants to succeed and everyone expected him to do that for Kalaba and we are pushing for him to go to FIFA but now he has put us in an awkward position,” said Mawere.

And Mawere added that there was no justification for Kalusha’s preference.

“I have seen and heard a few people trying to justify that decision, that ‘no he was professional, he has a right’…but there is no justification for that. Everyone who was there voted for their own, it shows that he has no regard for other Zambians. I would only urge Kalaba to soldier on, forgive and not trust some people because this is a clear case of betrayal,” said Mawere.

“It’s just the morality behind it. As minister I think what he did is betrayal to the entire country. If Morocco, Congo and others voted for Kalaba it means they know he is the best, but what does his own do? I think we have to be patriotic to our country.”

Kalusha, who is part of the CAF Technical and Development Committee, gave his first vote to Zimbabwean Khama Billiat giving him five points, while his second vote went to eventual winner Denis Onyango, giving him four points and his third vote went to Kalaba, giving him only three points.

Ugandan shot stopper Onyango subsequently won the award.