Zambia coach Herve Renard needs only a few seconds to discover the problem threatening to derail ambitions of a 2010 African Nations Cup quarter-finals place.
In 10 qualifying matches leading to Angola, Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets) managed to score a miserly four goals and no player was on target more than once for a national team with a dismal recent Cup record.
Since finishing third in 1996 – the last time Southern Africa staged the biennial African football showcase – Zambia have qualified for five of six tournaments and made a first round exit every time.
Renard, at 41 the youngest of five French coaches who will perform sideline patrols in Angola, has vowed to do better and set his squad a quarter-finals target.
That will not be easy in Group D, where revitalised Cameroon are favourites and considered potential champions, Tunisia have much to prove after falling at the final World Cup hurdle, and Gabon boast a young squad packed with promise.
“Our target is to reach the second round,” stressed Renard to Zambian reporters before heading for a pre-tournament camp in South Africa where Chipolopolo defeated Mozambique and held Nigeria.
“In life one makes progress step by step. When I arrived in this country my ambition was to qualify for the African Nations Cup. Now we want to go to the next step.”
But poor finishing continued to plague the team in warm-up games as they struck just one against Mozambique and none against Nigeria and Renard is running short of time to discover a solution.
Germany-based captain Christopher Katongo offers the best hope as he was a consistent scorer at international level until affected by the malaise that gripped the entire team during the 2010 qualifiers.
And while Zambia did face formidable qualifying opponents in Togo, Egypt and Algeria, the same cannot be said of minnows Swaziland and Rwanda, who conceded only one goal each over 180 minutes.
China-based James Chamanga and Collins Mbesuma of South African club Moroka Swallows are potential partners for Katongo, whose younger brother Felix is a likely midfield starter.
Many of the squad play in South Africa, including goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene from Free State Stars on whom much may depend given the failure to convert chances at the other end.
[Times of India]
It is most likely that the current composition of players wont be the same after a fews years from now
therefore the “step by step” approach wont mean anything. Just set the bar as high as you can since you all have just a limited time to prove yourselves.
Anyway, good luck!
When renard came, he told us that “in order to play well, you have to defend……” so he said he was going to start from the defence and build up to striking force. One just wonders when he will get to the striking. Most of the strikers we have in the team have been top scorers in leagues and tournaments, how come they are goal shy now? Hmm when many players are misplaced on the pitch, and when the coach fails to find right combinations, that is usually the result. For me, more than half the blame goes to the coach!!!!! Nevertheless, go! Zambia Zambia!
Times of India??
#3, I was wondering too. Ba LT nibange mule baula nangula nifinshi? Times of India?
How do you expect to win any cup when u dont even have a stadium? Forget it. Its not the couch, its not kalushya, its the Government.
the article( Lord have mercy on us) by times of zambia….oh sorry..india says it all. China based…..moroka swallows. nkasako ba sa ba yesa ko. Have you guys ever watched a chinese league game??? Other teams are dynamic and truthful. If a player is good…olo ni grade 10 bamutenga nag ali na maturity. manje Nsanje pa zed.
Only RB believes Zambia will score a goal in Angola. Yahoo sports is reporting a gun attack on the Togolese team bus in Angola.
Lets support our team, all way round
Zambians talk tooo much! leave Rener and Kalu alone, the gorverment is to blame, no infrastructure etc.we have players who are not displined and they lack self confidence!thats why not even 1 has made it in the big leagues.
Good post however , I was wanting to know if you could write a litte more on this subject? I’d be very thankful if you could elaborate a little bit more. Thanks!|