In Defence of Patson Daka: Football Is More Than Just Goals

By Crispin Ngulube - 05.10.2025

Patson Daka after coming close to scoring against Swansea

As the 2025/26 EFL Championship season continues to unfold, Leicester City are showing signs of rediscovering their rhythm under new manager Martí Cifuentes. Among the players working hard to regain form and consistency is Zambia’s own Patson Daka, a forward whose recent performances have sparked both praise and criticism from fans.

Yesterday, I watched the entire 90-plus minutes of the Championship clash between Swansea City and Leicester City — a match that ended 3–1 in favour of the Foxes. Zambian forward Patson Daka played the full game, and after watching his performance, I made a simple post saying, “Solid game from the Zambian forward.”

To my surprise, the post attracted backlash. Many people criticized Daka for not scoring or assisting, and I was honestly taken aback by how misunderstood the striker’s role can be in football.

The truth is, football isn’t just about goals and assists. Sometimes, what defines a good performance are the intelligent runs, the pressing off the ball, the link-up play, and the space created for teammates. These are small but vital details that often go unnoticed, yet they play a huge part in helping a team secure victory.

Football is a team sport — it’s about eleven players working together toward one common goal: winning as a team. Being a striker doesn’t mean scoring in every single match. Contributing to the team’s overall play and success is just as important.

Unfortunately, the constant criticism from both some Zambian fans and Leicester supporters hasn’t made life easy for Daka. In fact, such negativity may have affected his confidence at times. But what stands out is his professionalism and determination to keep improving.

Leicester City’s new boss, Martí Cifuentes, clearly sees something special in Daka. In the previous match, he played 82 minutes and registered an assist in a 1–1 draw. Against Swansea, he was trusted with the full 90 minutes and came close to scoring with a well-timed header that the goalkeeper just managed to tip over the bar.

These are encouraging signs. It shows that the new coach believes in Daka’s potential and values his contribution beyond the stats. His morale seems to be improving, and even without scoring, his work rate and tactical awareness are helping Leicester in meaningful ways.

So, to the fans — let’s give credit where it’s due. Patson Daka may not be on the scoresheet yet, but his impact on the pitch is undeniable.

Keep your head up, Daka. Your hard work will soon be rewarded.

— Crispin Ngulube

Editor | Football DNA Zambia