Ex-Chipolopolo keeper Martin Mwamba has said the current national team is not the best squad Zambia has ever assembled despite winning the ended Africa Cup of Nations.
Mwamba, was a member of the 1994 Chipolopolo Team that minted silver at the Tunisia AFCON.
The retire goalkeeper and now goalkeeping coach at Power Dynamos, said fate was with Zambia through-out the tournament co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Zambia won the 2012 Africa Cup with a squad of mostly Africa based players campaigning in South Africa and DR. Congo.
Speaking to LT Sports in Kitwe, Mwamba said he believes time had come for Zambia to win their first Africa Cup.
” In the past we have had stronger sides like in 1974 and 1994.But this year God was with us and it was just out time to win the cup,” he stated.
However, Mwamba indicated that he had confidence in the Christopher Katongo captained-squad before the AFCON kicked-off.
“I had confidence that the team will deliver victory,” he added
Let us just say they are the best period why taking away from them? Why didn’t the 1974 win it?. God has always been with us this time we had a military approach through Katongo and self belief by most players. Why do people always want to have a say even on matters beyond their understanding ? Well done boys keep enjoying your efforts no one will be allowed to take it away from you. Thank you God for your favours !!
Ungrateful and jealousy bastard
Hmmmm…..the proof of the pudding is in the eating. The 2012 team achieved what the 1974 and 1994 teams failed to do. This was a real team, which worked for each other. No prima donnas.
The 2012 team is the most successful and best in fact best of the best team we have ever had. Iwe ka Mwamba don’t hurt. Zambians you always look for negatives even when there’s no negative. What’s wrong with you???
Martin Mwamba, you are just a silly ungrateful hopeless man. Why the negative comments? if you have nothing good to sayabout the Zambian team, just don’t say anything at all. Many thanks to Herve Renard, the Chipolopolo boys and everyone who contributed. Team Spirit, Excellent hard working coach plus hard working players equals Excellent result. Simply Amazing and long may it continue! Â Â Â
Fate was really with the team there alot of near losses we had in 2012 for ghana we utilised our chance for ivory coast had drogba scored we could ve gone with silver. So the team was well disciplined and worked together but its true it was not the best zambia had ever assembled. I agree with mwamba. Consistence was perfect and the win is fantastic but it was not the best and most promising team.
Bloggars, I totally agree with you. The 2012 Chipolopolo team is the best we ever had in Zambia. The 1974, 1994, and 1996 teams were very good but NOT the best. Why? They crumbled down and failed when it mattered the most. But the 2012 team remained resolute and focused when it mattered the most. Remember a number of these boys have played at Youth World Cup level already. It’s NOT like they got lucky just this one time around–they have been around. They even went into the lions’ den to claim the hunt right from the lions’ jaws and claws (Senegal, Ghana, and Ivory Coast) to claim the bounty from the Kings of this African jungle (football). Finally bra Mwamba, the 1974, 1994, and 1996 were the Almost-there teams but the 2012 team are, simply put, the CHAMPIONS of Africa.
Ba Mwaamba its not just talking to appear in the paper. kulande fya maano this is the best team Zambia has ever had.only the best win imwee! another mongrue.
Why do Zambians always insult someone with a diffrent opinion???
Ba Mwaamba you’r a jelous man. you failled to bring the cup ***** and shut up
Ba mwamba how do u measure something good? You take the achievements of one to the other. If the 1974, 1994, and 1996 almost made it, and we have the 2012 which did it, then the 2012 is the most successful team, and not only that it was the best team of the tournament producing, four players in the Africa 11, plus 2 on the bench. 1994 produced only two and 1974 I was not there please update us. The other teams failed because they relied on individuals like Chitalu,Kaumba and Kalu and Jonstone etc. If these guyz a marked and dont deliver the team looses, but the current one relies on everyone on and off the pitch, we could see Mayuka comming of te bench and score. I dont even remember seeing u Martin in between the posts, it was James Phiri, so how do you compare yourself to a complete t
The only team that cud beat Zambia was itself. We almost lost to ourself against Ghana, we were in control of all the other 5. Let’s prove that we are a gr8 team when we meet Ghana & Sudan again in the Brasil WC Qualifyers. Mwamba, we were 2gthr in 94 and that was a powerful team coz all Zambians never belivd we wud reach that far. Now people will take Zambia serious and not “UNDERDOGS” Â \:d/
Performance was gud against senegal,Eq guinea,sudan and da victories against da fancied ghana and cotedvoire.bust still da results matters most hence it z da greatest team.
Good soccer analysis from mwamba. Nothing wrong with that, i liken this to primary school groups 1-4. Members of the least group ve gone to achieving in all sectors…
Indeed mwamba is an *****.Yu had the best teams in those years without results nonsense.Its like yu were the best at UNZA only to come out with passes and yu go out to pipo saying am the best.
Guys in terms of quality this was not the best we have ever assembled.In the past we have had a lot of great players and teams but didnt bring the trophy home.These boys brought it home and deserve all the praise,money,naming streets after them,give then houses,give them daughters ,land etc.The world will always remember champions not runners up.GOD BLESS ZAMBIA.
Kantumoya you have missed the point why do you have to say if drogba scored we would have minted gold? what makes you think that if he scored zambia would have not come back to equalise and win the game? I agree the previous teams were good but simply not the best. The 2012 team are the best. Brazil won the world cup in 1994 on Penalties. umufimbila muleke and give the boys the credit they deserve.
They won the cup.What other proof does this guy want.The winner takes it all,loser stands watching.If you were the best how come you never brought the cup?Its not by fate or chance or sorry to …God because God loves even the other teams so its up to the team to effectively battle it out.Mwamba should be reminded that even at under 20 cosafa we are best,is that fate?
wat an *****!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
useless mwamba. why didn’t you win 1994 if you were the best. stop this nonsense.
Its high time Mwamba listened to what Mourinho said…”Almost is equal to Zero”. For Mwamba’s own info…Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast.., these were the teams tipped to win AFCON and Zambia beat all of them, what more do you want.
History doesn’t remember the vanguished! If it does, it’s in the negative. Who did Zambia defeat to be Afcon Champions? Ivory Coast! Who are the Champions of Africa? Zambia!
In a tournament when you are champions it means you are the best period! Mwamba should realise that we are not talking about individuals and as such, football being a team sport, we look at the complete package. And this team delivered the complete package therefore in a nutshell they are the BEST team EVER for Zambia until another team delivers. A player for player analysis is different but we look at unifying those qualities in a team. When it mattered most the 74’94’96 teams failed us despite having very talented individuals.
you fool each team which go to the afcon its the best what is wrong with you its shame the time you were a goal keeper never achieved anything talk rubbish now give credit to your follows???
Ba mwamba jeolosy down.Results count,its not about long hours of working producing no fruits,like u ve bn doing.
*****. You are just jealous of the boys. Which 1994 team are talking about.
*****. You are jst jealous.
The 2012 team is the best of all teams because they lifted the AFCON that eluded the other teams. They faced fancied and very strong sides like CIV, Ghana, Senegal. Besides the less fancied teams like E. Guinea, Sudan and Libya took us all the way. The 2012 team also boasts of not only very skilled players but technically disciplined as well. As for the the hastily assembled 1994 team, definitely they cannot match the above attributes of the current squad. Kennedy Mweene and Joshua Titima are far much better than Martin Mwamba. Zedi Saileti failed to tick as the lead striker so much that match commentators were referring to him as “jelly legs”.
Djsmuzz…Why zambian insult when someone has different views.. The answer is.. Zambian don’t beleive uin criticism.. So if you cricize and your point are valid we run out of words and insult instead of learning. So when you are insulted it means you have made a convincing point.. We love worshiping leaders even when they are wrong..i.e Sata..
The Good Book says that time and chance COMES TO EVERYONE (christian and non-christian!!!). Some people even go as far as saying opportunity favours the prepared person. Every Zambian soccer team (and in the same breadth every other african team) that has in the past qualified to the AFCON has had their time and chance to be African soccer champions but they never achieved the feat. God is not to blame otherwise why has Egypt, a non-christian nation dominated the tournament? We went into AFCON 2012 as underdogs but the “upper-dogs” failed to break us. We were resolute in all departments and Iam not for one moment saying we never made mistakes…ask the coach he will tell you why he never stopped screaming and raving on the touch-line and never sitting down!! Viva Zambia
What i can say is yes we had more skilled and better team than the current one. But i’m sure the current one is more desciplined and educated. The old teams where very indesplined and rebalise thats is why we failed to archieve much despite being good.. There where some cases where by they would refuse to play after progressing to semi finals because they want some allowance to go and celebrate… Dennis liwewe and KK would phone and plead with them….So they would play in protest and loose deliberatly……check the archieves…
To start with, I do not know who this Mwamba guy is and I wonder if he has any credentials to go to the press and issue such a stoopid statement. Why does LT even post such a story? Is this how we treat our heroes after they deliver a trophy that has eluded us since eternity ? He has the audacity to start comparing the team with losing teams!! Is it because he was in one of those ‘near-winning’ teams?
This team were fighters. They gave no one respect and worked together in all areas. Plus they had a twelfth player, the coach, who pushed them hard to their limits, even though they were technically inferior to teams like Ghana. Their individual skills combined together to make a very strong team on the day. Ban Ki Moon should talk to this guy! Please shut up and give some respect
Averyone is entitled to their opinion- correct or wrong- its their opinion
Sour grapes!
cikala
I dont agree with Martin mwamba. Footbal is not just about physical fitness but mental as well. the current team was so strong that they beat favourites Ivory coast and ghana. His article is misplaced and is based on selfishness. Please dont listen to him.
Team work! That is what was lucking in the old teams. Then it was about who had skill, but the new team was playing as one.
This is the best Zambian team ever as clearly demonstrated by their achievement. I note however, that Zambian soccer has always had flair – a fine flowing brand of football that makes us one of the least physical teams on the continent. The difference between this team and the previous ones lies in their HUNGER for goals and CONSISTENCE throughout the 90 minutes of each game and the whole tournament. HATS OFF TO CHRISTOPHER KATONGO AND THE ENTIRE CHIPOLOPOLO CONTIGENT!!
Thank God these boys have changed our old mentality of “… LOSING WITH HONOUR AND DIGNITY..” for losing is losing and there’s neither honour nor dignity in doing so!
My god, Mr mwamba has only aired his views, comparing past teams with the present one, read between the lines not the best squad ever assembled, the Brazil team of 1982 is always described as the best team not to have ever won a tournamnet. it’s about the quality of players Mr Mwamba is talikng about. Greece won the 2004 Euro championships without any household names playing boring football, it does not mean that was the best squad Greece has ever assembled, it is fate, preparedness and a bit of luck that fall into place. let’s be progressive and have a constractive dialogue when someone puts an opinion across, Mr mwamba goes on to say he had confidence that the current team will deliver, now should this man be insulted for airing such opinions. I think not.
Martin is right on this issue.I had watched the 1994 team and other teams before then.Some times you can not explain the results of soccer, but I think 2012 was Zambia’s time.
It is  said the best Administrators, the Best Coaches, the best team players, the most Disciplined
Team will always carry the day. The Zambian Team was the Best in African Football. Please stop
your unfounded THEORIES of 1974 or whatever year. YOU INSULTED Mr Kalusha Bwalya and the coach FAZ Â recruited. Action speaks louder an words. Yours is words hence you failed to stop 1974 AFCON goals hence Zambia failed to win, you allowed too many goals!
Give praise where it is due Bwana Mwamba. The Zambian Team of 2012 has been the BESTÂ
TEAM ever in Zambian Football History.Â
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