Get out of Africa
Refugee Zola sent 'home' to a war-zone from Tranmere
As the league tables take shape and relegation issues become fervent, there is one Coca-Cola League player just happy to be kicking a ball again.
Calvin Zola, Tranmere Rovers’ 20-year-old Congolese forward had, for eight months, been the victim of red-tape bureaucracy that not only threatened his playing career but also his very existence.
A player with raw ability and bags of potential, Zola was regarded as “one for the future” by Rovers’ boss Brian Little following his switch from Newcastle United, where he was initially spotted by Sir Bobby Robson playing for a local college.
Yet just as Zola’s career began to gain momentum after a successful loan spell at Oldham, it came to a shuddering halt last November when the British Government withdrew his visa. He was told he would have to return home in order to complete his application for a new one.
Zola had originally fled the Democratic Republic of Congo six years ago with his mother as civil war raged in the West African state. Granted asylum here, they had rebuilt their life in Newcastle, so there was an understandable reluctance to return to a country where an estimated three million people have lost their lives. As the situation became a political football, Zola was forced to sit out Tranmere’s push for the play-offs.
“It was a very difficult time,” says the softly-spoken striker. “But I received a lot of support. The gaffer, the chairman [Lorraine Rogers] and my adviser were all there for me, as were my friends, family and, of course, the fans.”
Frank Field, then just weeks away from becoming MP for Birkenhead in the general election, got involved while supporters launched the Save Zola petition, which gathered 2,000 signatures. Yet just as the situation was looking to be drawing to a favourable conclusion, Zola was dealt a heavy blow when Immigration Minister Des Browne dismissed his fears about returning to the Democratic Republic of Congo as “unfounded.”
It was an odd decision, given that the Foreign Office website advises against all travel to eastern and northeastern DR Congo. Zola had little choice but to journey home if he ever wanted to play professional football in the UK again. Sports Minister Richard Caborn contacted the British Embassy in Congo, requesting that Zola’s visa be fast-tracked, and that the player be given special protection on his arrival.
Before his trip, Zola says he received a timely boost: “The gaffer said he was looking forward to the situation being over so that I could play for him. To know that I was in his plans gave me so much confidence and hope.”
Zola and his adviser arrived safely in Kinshasa, but still endured a couple of days’ wait for his new visa to come through. A committed Christian, Zola says his faith pulled him through. “As strange as it may sound, I always felt safe when I was in Kinshasa and I think it’s because people at the church I attend back home were praying for me.”
He has now returned to first-team action and although understandably rusty, he hopes to play a big part as Tranmere try to put last season’s play-off semi-final defeat against Hartlepool behind them. “While I was out of the team, I was able to train but it’s not the same as competitive games, but now I’m back, I’ve set myself a target of 15 goals and hopefully they’ll help the club get promoted,” he says.
“We’re finding that this isn’t an easy division, with teams strengthened since last season, but after losing the semi, the gaffer gave a great speech. He said we’d done well to get to the play-offs but now we had to put everything behind us and look forward.
“The players took on board what the gaffer said and we’re now ready to make the step up, hopefully via automatic promotion rather than having to go through the stress of the play-offs once more.”