Zambian football player gets UK work permit after appeal

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Collins Mbesuma, a 21-year-old Zambian national playing football in the English city Portsmouth, has been granted a UK work permit after the club made a successful appeal to the Home Office.

The Zambian player has joined on a three-year contract worth around £500,000 with his South African club Kaizer Chiefs, but he was denied a work permit a fortnight ago.

The club were forced to appeal after the player's application was denied due to Zambia's failure to secure a regular place among the top 70 in the FIFA rankings.

A Home Office appeals panel decided Mbesuma - who hit 35 goals last season to help Kaizer Chiefs retain their South African title - can move to England.