Chipolopolo lost 3-1 to Iraq on Friday evening in a friendly match played in Baghdad.
Zambia trailed two-one into halftime in which the first three goals of the match all came on the opening half-hour.
Dhurgham Ismail put Iraq ahead from the penalty shot in the 10th minute and Ahmad Ibrahim extended the host lead thirteen minutes later while a 29th minute Saad Natiq own-goal handed Zambia their only goal of the match.
But the home-based players Zambia team went on to control the second half but just lacked the final touch upfront.
Chipolopolo came close to equalizing in the 71st minute but midfielder Kelvin Mubanga’s fine volley from outside the box went inches wide of the right post.
Iraq then stretched their lead out of the blues through Ayem Hussein who beat Dominic Chanda and Prosper Chiluya on the edge of the area to fire in the ball past goalkeeper Charles Kalumba.
Chipolopolo defender Solomon Sakala then ghosted into the area in the 84th minute but his cheeky shot from a Mubanga cross was gathered by Iraq goalkeeper Mohammed Hameed.
Meanwhile, the friendly marked Chipolopolo coach Aljosa Asanovic’s debut match in charge following his appointment in January.
Asanovic is now set to trim his home-based team with part of the side returning home while the other heads to Europe to join his overseas call-ups for two more friendlies next week.
Zambia has a tentative date against Angola on March 25 in Portugal and a confirmed friendly against Guinea on March 29 in Paris.
A case of that old inferiority complex Zambian footballers have. Anyone looking like ‘that’ racially is feared, to be lost to. At this rate we can even lose to India or Bangladesh or Cambodia or Lebanon…OK, you catch my drift, I hope. And just what are we doing playing football in Iraq if the idea is preparing for the upcoming Afcon qualifiers? We would have done better playing another African side, even the likes of Lesotho or Comoros or Sao Tome and Principe.
Don’t just repeat criticism plagiarized from elsewhere. Iraq are 15 places above Chipolopolo on FIFA ladder. They are an accomplished side. Zambia have failed to qualify for afcon three times in a row and they were not fielding their strongest side. If you were expecting victory at Iraq’s home you don’t know your football
Life under upnd , even losing to a country that doesn’t play football.
You are a liar @2, they do, Iraq were middle east champions at one time before the Iraq war (invaded by USA).
What are you saying? It seems the guy knows his football and you don’t.
All the goals of the match were scored by Iraq. What a blunt strike force we have!