The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) says it has proved to the Zambian people that it made a good choice in employing Herve Renard as Chipolopolo Boys Coach.
FAZ General Secretary, George Kasengele told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the Association had received massive criticism from some sections of society over the employing of Renard.
He noted that FAZ however focused its attention on delivering to the Zambian people and Zambia’s victory over Gabon has proved that.
He said FAZwill remain focused and will not be derailed due to criticism adding that it will endeavor to uplift the standards of football in the country .
Mr. Kasengele said FAZ is happy with the performance of the coach who has since qualified the team to the quarter finals of the on-going Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.
He said Renard has broken the jinks in Zambian football by qualifying the boys to the second round of the tournament after 14 years of eliminations in the first round.
Kasengele has since congratulated Renard and the boys for putting up a spirited fight.
He said the team’s qualification has also demonstrated the boys’ maturity and experience gained over the years.
Kasengele further said the team will tomorrow fly to Lubango the host for the quarter final crush with Nigeria on Monday.
He said the team will also start their trainings in Lubango today ahead of the game.
Zambia yesterday qualified to the quarter finals of the Africa cup after beating Gabon 2-1 a result that saw the team top group D with 4 points ahead of Cameroun and Gabon who also had 4 points and Tunisia with 3 points.
The team’s qualification comes in the wake of poor results which saw Zambia failing to pass the group stages in 14 years.
ZANIS
True to that.Let’s go get te nigerians.
i hope they ll be saying the same come next week
:d Critism is coming from everywhere. No such thing as jinx, we just did not have the quality all these years. Critism keeps people alert thus we won’t stop. :-\”
Meant criticism :d
Shimaster kukonda Espn sports center go sleep. FAZ does not get it foundation is what Zambia needs the pool is stillshallow, youth development is needed so is corporate and fan sponsorship.
right now we need to critisise positively. we would all be happy if we progressed to the semis. we should also understand that the coach and the lads have been under massive pressure to deliver. i want to believe we should be encouraging the lads at this moment. Mukumba vichi
The criticism was justified. Renard was employed on the premise that he would qualify us for the world cup. However, this did not happen. Yes, we are happy that we have qualified to the quarterfinals. But is this what we have been reduced to? We used to qualify to the quarters without breaking a sweat. And if we fail to qualify to the semis, will we say that we have achieved what we set out for? I know that was Renard’s goal, but what about we as a nation? I think the only reason we are so happy is that the qualification came as a pleasant surprise! We have been so used to disappointment that a lot of us had fortified our hearts from breakages!. FAZ needs to put its house in order and seriously look at the management of football.
I thought coach RENARD is the one who should be happy with FAZ and not the other way round. At least this time around they seem to have put things in place (good preparations, good team selection etc). On the other hand lets not forget infrastructure development. Look at independence stadium, it is now a game reserve area, yet we want to win tournaments. Surely if our neighbouring countries can have modern stadia what is the matter with us.Even cricket countries like parkistan, Srilanka, Bangladesh have better football infrastructure. Good play boys and well done coach
Lets not get carried away with the qualification. I mean, am proud we are there especially after the long wait but truth be told, we do not have a strong midfield. Also, we are poor defending under pressure and the said midfield takes time backtracking to help out defending.
I honestly think if we rectify our defensive problems and inject some pace in our game, we can go one step further beating Nigeria.
Blogs, help ,is it true Kalaba and Chintu will miss all the next games,help Pliz
well said all of you.hope the RB govt can reward the lads,for it one way of encouraging,enclude with this a bit of criticism as seem to dislay lack of self belief towards the end of each game.good but so far
That’s the biggest problem we have even in goverment; “alwayz tryin to prove something to the people”, at the expense of providing good leadership, while condeming and ignoring crticizm. I still maintain that HR iz the biggest joke of a coach not to mention how or what he waz employed to do, and must go whether we lift the AFCON or not. FAZ can escort HR to the airport and maybe jump on the plane with him too. Well done boiz, pliz keep it up.
Faz u ar just crap with yo fellow suporters, i hav owaz said Zambia,s material as @ now is below par.The coach is tryng by all means to use the material we hav to reach wer we ar. Faz u wanted to bring in Janza 2 weeks b4 Afcon 2010 coz he won the under 20 cosafa, wat type of thinking was that. Look at how our players ar performing- one on one with the goal keeper: we fail to score, wen attackd we rush into the go post 3 to 4 players leave attackng strikers an attended to. Look at the goal we hav bin scored, do u surely need the coach to tell u wer to stand. come on gentelmen
there is a lot that needs to be done in as far as our soccer is concerned.
let’s improve our shooting on goal-it is too pathetic.However,let’s go boys.we can beat them nigerians and go on to lift the cup.>-)=d>
U ar wanted Zeb to qualify to the world cup, am not sure if guys yo minds we in ther right places. Mali, Cameroon, Tunisia,Morroco DRC + South Africa including Zambia ar below par from the way they used to play. Going to the world cup was just going to be a waste of money coz we hav to improve our soccer standands to reach wer Egypt or Ivory coast ar. Frankly speaking Egypt wud hav bin a beta team to sent to SA for world cup not bcoz Tunisia is out but from how prepared & coordinated the ar. So wat i wud say is
:d/ ok the boyz have improved keep itup ni zee!!!!
Kalu , Munaile ,Simwaza , Masha, Erick and Violet Bwalya all had wanted the coach to go. Each Excutive member of Faz had a personal line up for Zambia imagine, for Jacob Mulenga young boy from Afri Sport non of those chaps wanted him to play, now their calling him a hero F o U. U make us get upset with yo double standards. Kalu ask yoself this, yo predicted teams to win Afcon wer ……………………………….. not Zambia. evrywer i cod pipo got pissed wen u wer celebrating after the win against Gabon like yo ar a true Zambian (yo South african). Do not lead pipo to temptations but deliver them from yo evil thots & plans. Ya we know u ar happy, coz u hav sold sunzu. once a business man owaz u wil be
Ready or Not – Fugees. Zambia let go **==**==**==**==**== HR =d> Faz:-@
God be with us[-o< Amen
What perfomance? because Zambia is in the last eight? ok!:@)
We have a big problem in this country. why do we like pulling each others legs. As long as we keep on behaving like this we will never go anywhere. We should just congratulate the boys for proving us wrong. Football standards in zambia have fallen because there is very little investment in youth football. We depend on the same players to bring wonders to the country. Winning the africa cup will be a major plus to us but it should not be number one priority. Going into the quarter finals with the current crop of players is a big achievement and I praise the coach for what he has done and he should be given another contract to take us to the next africa cup i.e 2012 and possibly brasil 2014. Longterm vision is better than shorterm. Lets support each other even in times of dissapointments.
Renard had told us what he was going to achieve and has done it. It does not matter what we all think, the fact is that, he promised and he has delievered.
Congrats to Renard and team. No lets go for the bonus, shall we?
FAZ should just shut up! They can pick the best coach but as long as the adminitration is full of uncreative and an S.A. base chief the quality of ou domestic league will remain low. and ths should be our foundation
Well said guys- RichCool , Abena & villager, we need pipo to wake up, b4 we fire the coach (by erra) Faz has to go first. All the best Zambia & God guide u HR
Mindola Miseshi should apologise for what he wrote against the CHIPOLOPOLO on 6 October 2009
:d
Jacob cannot be strayed by money pantu akula nashena. He used to drive a BMW the father bought for him while at Afrisports. Thats why he is discplined and we dont get to hear of him missing flights, camp or training when they get paid utu ma $5,000. Alikwatapo money alipendapo ichuma.
Tebambi, u give them a few $’s ninshi balaba ati balikwata club – Mbesuma in mind. Abena Chris, Felix (Jet Lee), Rainford (Mupa) mwalaba efyo mwalechula ku mufulira? Stop blasting the media. The media can make or destroy ka?!
Work hard and play in the big league guys. Mwiba nga Mbesumba.
some of you bloggers are so shallow. Zambia has never qualified to the world cup. Renard was employed to make sure we get to Africa Cup and world cup would have been a bonus. its been 14 years for us to wait to qualify to second round of Africa Cup. for me thats a great achievement and if we beat Nigeria then great otherwise I will forever support my national team not just when they win. its incredible how shallow some of you are. one wonders whether ur zambians or not? but when its arsenal or man u u still support whether vthey win or lose. why cany=t you equally support your country?
FAZ may be happy with the coach yes nothing wrong with the guy but the issue is that we need a change of leaders at FAZ, people who can manage and act like leaders.
Congrats Mr. Renard prepare them well again for next match and fill them with self confidence. Let us support our team so far we are going well. Support them even if we win or loose.One Zambia One nation
Coach is ok but FAZ administration should be changed..
Well done Renard! You have done your best. Now it’s up to the boys to do the rest.
Nigeria has no coach, Zambia has no Coach, both teams are just using their talent and experience acquired over time. I am happy we made it to the quarters, but I still insist, with a coach we can achieve much more. Renard is not a good coach (not a tactician)! he is only doing one thing best, instilling self confidence in the players. Something almost all Zambians suffer from. Including most of you fake supporters. Gosh! we have talent!!!!!!!! but no coach.
Zambia coach open to offer from ‘top African side’
Herve Renard has guided Zambia to their first quarter-final in 14 years
Zambia coach Herve Renard says he is keen to take charge of a top African team when his contract expires in July.
The Frenchman, 41, has led his team into their first Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final in 14 years.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/8476816.stm
He is jumping ship before being pushed!
no31…we have talent but no stamina to withstand 90min..also time for faz to cast the net much wider,,beyond our borders,,the must improve network in europe and find players who have zambian lineage and than persuade them to play for mother zambia,,and yes give them zambian passport,,,than will see the drogba types parading for us,,,
Any one read BBC? how can coaches say such amidst the tournament?
“I said even before this tournament that I wish to be coach of a very top team one day. ” Said Renard.
It is true what #31 said. How can he cry for a higher class team when he cannot build his own? Awee mwandini nidaaama fye.
**== icalo bantu
just sharing Renards recent sentiments on BBC, didnt like what I read.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/8476816.stm
This is adds flavour to Renard’s cv. Keep it up, you have been under intese criticism from a section of our unforgiving Zambian media.This will remain in you cv forever and good things, will surely come to you. After qualifiying Zambia the non intities to prestigious Africa cup of nations and indeed the quarter finals definately makes you a potential football coach that, many teams would like to employ.Keep it up God bless you in your difficulty job.
From this kind of exploitation, Renard should just leave Zed in peace, not the way he is insulting us.
“Despite reviving Chipolopolo, Renard says his ambition is to soon work with a higher profile team than Zambia”. Shame he is already abandoning ship before hitting the iceberg.
I cannot blame Renard for saying what he said on BBC, honestly Zambian say a lot of ill things when the team loses. This is why we have failed to build a strong team coz we keep changing coaches. It would be nice to maintain the same coach and see what happens. I’m sure Renard said that after reading what was written in the papers that they wanted him out should if his team did not win their last game in the first round. Now its more painful for him to day what he said and it isn’t when bad things are said about him. What a shame..leave Renard alone he had done his best to motivate our brothers.
Sorry I meant ….if his team
…more painful for them to hear …..
Though Renard is not a bad coach, I don’t think he is exceptionally good. Fair play to him if he wants to coach an African giant. However, I think he chose the wrong time to say what he said. He should also bare in mind the fact that the so-called giants of African football usually have many players with big egos who can make any coach’s life a living nightmare.
I wouldn’t even go as far as giving him all the credit for Zambia’s progress to the quarter finals. I personally think he took over a gold mine. One thing we tend to forget is that the re-building process started a few years ago has seen us have a relatively young but highly experienced team with many players in their mid-twenties taking part in their 3rd AFCON. With such experience, something’s got to give. Good luck to…
He is going to coach nigeria who we are playing in the 1/4 finals, yaka kana
We do not appreciate what we have. I support HR, even if it were me I wud not want to coach a team where people only remember Nga fili mukanwa. It is high time we changed our atitude.
What I think is that HR has put in place a team that is co ordinating well on the pitch. All this time he did not know which players can deliver. I thank him for wise selection of players no wonder he can not even substitute any how. Chipoloplo boys GO forward!
Zambia coach open to offer from ‘top African side’
Herve Renard has guided Zambia to their first quarter-final in 14 years
Zambia coach Herve Renard says he is keen to take charge of a top African team when his contract expires in July.
The Frenchman, 41, has led his team into their first Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final in 14 years.
Despite reviving Chipolopolo, Renard says his ambition is to soon work with a higher profile team than Zambia.
“I know what I want, I’m very ambitious and I’m not scared to say so,” said Renard, who assisted Claude Le Roy with Ghana two years ago.
“I said even before this tournament that I wish to be coach of a very top team one day.
“I’m young but I’m not scared about anything.
“Now I can speak English and I’m…
Ata we Zambians never seem to learn. Anything foreign is better. This rule must be broken. We need to develop our own. Now after giving him a chance of a life time to coach Chipolopolo, he is busy telling us he now needs a bigger team than Zambia to coach. Well he is entitled to his oppinion but as long as he is contracted to coach our team, it is blashemy for him to suggest he is walking out on us in a middle of the AFCoN games. It’s a scandal here in Zambia to say things he has said. Fire him!!!