Harare - His magical father is arguably the finest football player Zambia never embraced, and he is now set to become the biggest footballer that Chipolopolo will never have.

His father, Charles Musonda, was a raw 15-year-old when he made his debut for his country against the country then known as Zaire in Kinshasa in an international friendly on November 11, 1985.

Now the teenage Charly Musonda, also at 15, has signed for European football champions and English giants, Chelsea.

Former Anderlecht coach Johan Boskamp described Charly as “a mix between Xavi and Iniesta,” giving rise to his media nickname, Xaviesta, and explaining why Barcelona, Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City were all interested in this teenage genius.

No one as yet knows how much Chelsea will pay for Charly, and the Blues are also bringing in his elder brothers - Tika and Lamisha - to London as part of the deal.

Tika is 18-years-old and Lamisha, who is 20, has already played for the Anderlecht senior team but has in the past ignored calls to join the Zambia Under-20 national team.

The Musonda brothers, who all carry Belgian passports, are apparently keen to represent their adopted country rather than play for African champions Chipolopolo.

Anderlecht confirmed on their website that the Musonda brothers had joined Chelsea.

“I wish to thank the management of Chelsea for their correct and generous attitude in this matter,” Anderlecht GM, Herman Van Holsbeeck, said.

“We regret the departure of the Musonda brothers, but the financial effort proposed by the London club is a sign of great respect to Anderlecht.

“RSC Anderlecht took note of the wishes of the family.  Although Anderlecht regrets the departure of the Musondas, the London club are very correct on the considerable sum to raise for our club.

“Anderlecht provides no details on the financial proposal.”

Given that Chelsea aren’t known as a club that invests a lot into youthful players and rather prefers to splash the cash to buy established quality, their investment in Charly Musonda and his brothers has caught the eye.

After all, this is the same club that has just injected a cool 32 million pounds to bring Belgian midfielder Eden Hazard from France to England.

Charly has already played for the Belgium Under-16 national team - just to confirm where his loyalties lie - and is tipped to become a big star for his adopted nation.

It could be something to do with his father.

Charles Musonda was widely believed to be the greatest naturally-gifted footballer of a golden generation of Zambians that included Kalusha Bwalya, Derby Mankinka and Gibby Mbasela.

By the time he was 15, he was already playing for Mufulira Wanderers, the same team that featured a certain King Kalu, and in November 1985 he was ripe to make his international debut for Zambia.

The following year, Charles was in the Zambian team at the ’86 Africa Nations Cup finals in Egypt but only featured in one match after being withdrawn injured in the opening tie against Cameroon.

It would be his one and only Nations Cup finals appearance.

That same year, he followed Kalusha to Belgian club Cercle Brugge where doctors found out that one of his legs was slightly shorter than the other and they recommended he play in specially-designed boots.

The following year, he was on the move again, joining Anderlecht to begin a lengthy relationship with the club where today he works as a youth coach and kit manager for the first team.

Musonda was one of the outstanding players for Zambia at the ’88 Olympic Games in Seoul and in 1991 he helped Anderlecht win the Belgian championship.

The following season they reached the final of the European Cup Winners Cup where they lost 0-2 to Italian club, Sampdoria.

The elder Musona made a huge impression in that match and the Italians tried to sign him but an injury wrecked the move.

Between 1991 and 1996, Musonda had seven operations on the same knee and, although he was meant to play for Zambia in that World Cup qualifier in Senegal, his team manager, Michel Verschueren, advised him to ignore the call for national duty.

It meant he missed the ill-fated trip and the crash that wiped out a generation of his teammates.

King Kalu too was not on that flight.

But while Bwalya rebuilt the shattered team, Musonda turned into an outcast by refusing to play, saying he was haunted by memories of the disaster.

He would play one final game for Zambia, in the final ’94 World Cup qualifier against Morocco, but after coming in as a late substitute, he lost a tooth in a dangerous foul in the box and Chipolopolo lost the battle to qualify for the tournament in United States.

Musonda was never embraced by the Zambian fans who felt that he did more for his clubs than his country and used injury “excuses” to avoid national duty.

That Bwalya almost single-handedly took Zambia to the final of AFCON 1994 and then, as FA president, turned them into African champions, has put Musonda’s contribution - or lack of it - in the limelight.

Musonda retired from football at the young age of 28 after losing his battles against injuries after cameo spells in the United States and Germany before returning to settle in Belgium.

He was virtually forgotten in Zambia … until Xaviesta emerged with his move to Chelsea.

Musonda probably feels unloved by his Zambian countrymen and women and that could be playing a part in his children playing for Belgium rather than Chipolopolo.

Time will certainly tell whether Xaviesta is the real deal but if Charly is anything like his father – and is fortunate to escape serious injury – then Boskamp is right that he is a mixture of Xavi and Iniesta.