He signed a two-year deal with MTN Super League side Lusaka Dynamos, as the club’s marquee signing in that transfer window. Cooper was reportedly promised a signing-on fee of $25,000 (approximately P250,000), a monthly salary in the region of $5,000 (P50,000).
The figures made the former Township Rollers midfielder one of the highest-earning players in the Zambian league. His deal meant he was miles ahead of his counterparts playing in the Botswana league. But just six months into his 24-month contract with the Elite, Cooper handed in a transfer request. Through his agent, Bakang Moipone of Extreme Sports, Cooper accused the club of deceit after failing to receive the promised enormous signing-on fee. After a month-long tussle, the player was unshackled from his agreement after the intervention of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ). Cooper’s move up north always looked like a shipwreck in waiting from the onset. It brought back sharp memories of Dirang Moloi, Phenyo Mongala and Jerome Ramatlhakwana’s move to DRC’s Don Bosco. Like Cooper, the trio was promised handsome salaries, with each pocketing P30,000 monthly. The salary was to increase by five percent each season of the five-year contract. However, 12 months into their contracts, they were more than eager to return home due to the living conditions in the central Africa state.
