Friday, December 27, 2024

Zimbabwe rout Zambia again in COSAFA Cup final

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Zito Tembo of Zambia challenged by Khama Billiat of Zimbabwe during the 2018 COSAFA Cup final match between Zambia and Zimbabwe at Peter Mokaba Stadiuml, Polokwane on 09 June 2018 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

Zimbabwe made a defensively confident Zambia pay in stoppage time of the second half to snatch an equalizer after the 90 minutes to convincingly beat Chipolopolo 4-2 in extra-time in the 2018 COSAFA Cup final played at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

This is after Zambia had come from one-down when Philana Kadewere punished Ziyo Tembo’s poor clearance in the 3rd minute before beating Toaster Nsabata in goals.

But Lazarus Kambole equalized in the 8th minute to see the two sides go 1-1 into the break.

Kambole completed his brace in the 50th minute as Zambia looked like they had finally gotten over their tournament jitters.

However, Chipolopolo gave Khama Billiat too much respect including Talent Chawapiwa who has been a constant thorn-in-the-flesh in their previous two meetings in which he had scored against Chipolopolo.

Then, none of the substitutes that Beston Chambeshi brought on after the hour made any impact as he elected to be defensive when Collins Sikombe replaced Kelvin Mubanga and Ngosa Sunzu came on for John Chingandu.

But Ronald Kampamba’s arrival for Kambole raised more eyebrows and those fears were confirmed in the 89th minute when he hit the post bringing back memories of his missed chances in the 1-0 semifinal win over Madagascar.

Kadewere them stunned Zambia on the counter deep into stoppage time level matters and also score his brace.

It was then that the Khama Billiat show swung into action in extra time after he won and converted an 98th minute penalty before putting the match beyond doubt with a simple tap-in unmarked in 150 minutes.

Terrence Dzukamanja (r) of Zimbabwe during the 2018 COSAFA Cup final match between Zambia and Zimbabwe at Peter Mokaba Stadiuml, Polokwane on 09 June 2018 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
Terrence Dzukamanja of Zimbabwe challenged by Shemmy Mayembe of Zambia during the 2018 COSAFA Cup final match between Zambia and Zimbabwe at Peter Mokaba Stadiuml, Polokwane on 09 June 2018 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
Talent Chawapiwa of Zimbabwe during the 2018 COSAFA Cup final match between Zambia and Zimbabwe at Peter Mokaba Stadiuml, Polokwane on 09 June 2018 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
Talent Chawapiwa of Zimbabwe challenged by jackson Chirwa of Zambia during the 2018 COSAFA Cup final match between Zambia and Zimbabwe at Peter Mokaba Stadiuml, Polokwane on 09 June 2018 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
Talent Chawapiwa of Zimbabwe challenged by jackson Chirwa of Zambia during the 2018 COSAFA Cup final match between Zambia and Zimbabwe at Peter Mokaba Stadiuml, Polokwane on 09 June 2018 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
Talent Chawapiwa of Zimbabwe challenged by John Chingandu of Zambia during the 2018 COSAFA Cup final match between Zambia and Zimbabwe at Peter Mokaba Stadiuml, Polokwane on 09 June 2018 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
Khama Billiat of Zimbabwe challenged by Billy Mutale of Zambia during the 2018 COSAFA Cup final match between Zambia and Zimbabwe at Peter Mokaba Stadiuml, Polokwane on 09 June 2018 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
Marshall Munetsi of Zimbabwe challenged by Clatous Chota Chama of Zambia during the 2018 COSAFA Cup final match between Zambia and Zimbabwe at Peter Mokaba Stadiuml, Polokwane on 09 June 2018 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
Clatous Chota Chama of Zambia challenged by Tafadzwa Kutinyu of Zimbabwe during the 2018 COSAFA Cup final match between Zambia and Zimbabwe at Peter Mokaba Stadiuml, Polokwane on 09 June 2018 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
Khama Billiat of Zimbabwe challenged by Billy Mutale of Zambia during the 2018 COSAFA Cup final match between Zambia and Zimbabwe at Peter Mokaba Stadiuml, Polokwane on 09 June 2018 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

38 COMMENTS

    • Zambia is not interested in winning anything.
      They just in Chilanga by-elections too.
      look at Zimbabwe, all those foreign players. Billiant of Sundowns, is same as using Kalaba in COSAFA. Zimbabwe was serious man!!

  1. Nothing has happened to Zambia One way, it’s just that other countries have fast improved thereby giving a fatal blow to the Zambian dominance.

  2. Can you take anything away from the Zambian team? Absolutely no, they played very well throughout the game but Zimbabwe was more determined and hungrier for success. Chipolopolo relaxed well before they had sealed victory only to allow the warriors to snatch a win in extra time. The Zambian goalie wasted time thinking the second goal by Zambia was the final nail on the Zimbabwean coffin not knowing it’s not over until it’s over. Anyway, Zambia played good football they were just unfortunate.

  3. FAZ should get an expatriate coach if we have to make progress. We have been going down since Herve Renard left. The excuse of other countries catching is not on. They can only catch up if we are stagnant. We need progress.

    • Zambia needs a coach who can read the game. This nonsense of we need a Zambian coach should stopped. Renard won the African Cup with scrap metals. He himself is not a great coach but has the determination. We have players who but no thinking coaches

    • It is all and well calling for a foreign coach but how do you propose to pay him? From what I can see, the Zambian tax payers have been pouring money into football for a long time. If you want to have good local coaches, pay them the same amount you are prepared to pay foreigners. Ditch the inferiority complex!!

  4. It was expeted. Zimbabwe fielded their best side. Zambia assembled an experimental team at the expense of national pride .

    • Point of correction, this wasn’t our best team. The coach had called up his best players but u fortunately over 5 of the best players couldn’t make it due to injury.. Our best striker of all time Knoweledge Musona, midfield maestro Marvelous Nakamba, our captain Ovidy Karuru, who was injured during the first COSAFA game against Lesotho defense marshals, Costa Nhamoinesu, Teenage ‘Tinaro’ Hadebe, and a plethora of other European based players like MacCauley Bonnie, Tendai Darikwa all failed to play in the COSAFA tournament due to a variety of reasons. We only had two notable regular warriors in the team i.e Khama Billiat and the keeper rest were experimental with over 5 getting being debutants. We missed these stars the same way you missed Kalaba and Fashion Sakala

  5. Peter Drucker said, ‘Tomorrow always arrives. It is always different. And even the mightiest company is in trouble if it has not worked on the future. Being surprised by what happens is a risk that even the largest and richest company cannot afford, and even the smallest business need not run’. Abraham Lincoln also said, ‘If we know where we are and something about how we got there, we might see where we are treading and if the outcomes which lie naturally in our course are unacceptable, to make timely change’. These notable thinkers clearly spell out our weakness as a country. We have failed to work on our future. Well feel the 1970s football spirit id wamuyaya. Football is business and if we ought to compete wisely we need to understand the environment and strategize as FAZ and as…

  6. I think it’s not the coach to be blamed even the players themselves….we all saw chipolopolo had a good game but relaxed towards the dying minutes of the second half…

  7. The likes of Best on Chambeshi like his compatriot WADA are only good at home soccer. Any international challenge will always be too high a mountain to climb. Zimbabwe, South Africa, Lesotho and now Botswana are now technically superior to Zambia. That is now a fact!!

  8. This is a wake up call for our oach, Africa cup qualifier game against Namibia is around the corner and you are giving away a game of that kind to Zimbabwe. And you players stop winning the game before is won. Ala mulatulwalika ama BP.

  9. Chambeshi is a useless coach who will take us nowhere. The goon has no clue as to how to read the game.Zimbabwe are back on their way to beat us in every sphere of life. We are too complacent and we celebrate mediocrity too much.

  10. The past 5 years, Zambian teams at whatever level, have been loosing like this some important games. Its a character that can just change by change of kind of people you are involving. Tactics are just learnt. what do our players do when assembled for preparation. you can not see it. Just wasting food at lodges.
    Let us watch out! Most of the things are going down or backwards!! There is no serious participation of school pupil football, even at provincial level. We are just participating at tournament level. You can not teach skills at National level, you need to use it…wa…while!

  11. Loosing to a country without a president! This is an insult to our Great Elephant who does not rejoice in loses. Pilot, drop these players at Solwezi Air strip. FAZ will find there way to their homes. Tired of excuses.

    • What do you mean by country without a president!! Lets stick to facts here, your players lost their guard. Zimbabwe deservedly won the match.

  12. The FAZ Executive should be sacked for incompetence. All those Renard’s/Kalusha detractors look foolish.

    • Just accept defeat and work on improving from now on. Stop falsely comforting yourselves with this team D nonsense.

    • Your team A lost to Mozambique (of all the teams kkkkkk) at home and you want to lie that you’ve a better team than we beat. Zimbabwe massacred you just like the way they outclassed you again last year. If only we had Knowledge Musona, Knox Mtizwa (who destroyed you last year in the COSAFA final), Kudakwashe Mahachi and Ovidy Karuru we could have harvested a dozen goals against Chipolopolo. We only had the goal keeper remaining from the team that beat you in the 2017 COSAFA final, we could have assembled another team that is stronger than the one that thumped you left, right and centre. Only Khama Billiat is the regular starter in the actual Zimbabwe team, the rest can’t even make it to the bench. You can google the Zimbabwe line up that hammered Liberia in the Afcon qualifier in a…

  13. Its the coach to blame! A coach doesn’t play in a game but preferably its somebody who has gone through such instances before as a player! So based on his practical experiences, hes expected to guide his team! I have played football before, I have watched teams play at the highest level! One weakness Zambian coaches have to work on is speed when attacking! Its common to see defenders and mid-fielders playing the ball backwards, and at a snail’s pace! How can you score like that! We saw how Zimbabwe counter attacked at blistering pace, while Zambia’s were sluggish! Strikers also must take on opposing defenders not just high crosses all the time which yield to nothing! Only Zambian striker who takes on defenders right now is Collins Mbesuma! That’s how late Bernard Chanda, Godfrey…

  14. So Collins Mbesuma must be called back to the national team to combine with Patson Daka! He’s busy banging goals in South Africa and his team has been promoted to first division! If Zimbabwe could call Khama Billiat, why couldnt Zambia call Mbesuma! Instead of relying on non-performers who just embarrassed us!

    • FYI…..
      Over the past three decades, incomes in Zambia have fallen steadily.
      Poverty is widespread – 64 per cent of the total population lives below the poverty line, rising to 80 per cent in rural areas, meaning they do not have adequate income to meet their basic food requirements.
      Such poverty automatically implies deprivation for children. The Living Conditions Monitoring Survey cites 65 per cent of women in female headed households choosing to reduce the number of family meals per day as their only coping mechanism, especially in the months of the hungry season before the harvest.

  15. Is this how finished we have become as a soccer country? Even Zimbabwean fans having the audecity to argue with Zambian fans in terms of soccer achievements sure!!??? Damn!! Lol..

    • I kno Zimbabwe always go wild and celebrate winning the COSAFA as tho it was a continental showpiece, since they have never been any closer to any silverware on the big stage (Africa) like Zambia. Its funny how they have the ‘courage’ to argue with Zambian fans but you can’t blame them looking at how poor we have been in terms of team selection. Nonetheless, this is soccer with its ups and downs.

  16. Ziyo Tembo failed to inspire. Intead he was complaining for tackles he commited. Of course Zimbabwe had a better team than Zambia. We needed at least 4 strikers. We must put away Sate Sate. He has never come to the party when we need him. He is a local player for local games. I blame the technical team, especially head coach. Take away nothing from the Warriors 2-1 with 4mins to go to come back and end 4-2 was just magic. Well done Warriors.

  17. That’s how foolish a team can be, Sate Sate had the decider in his hands but threw it away. If he had dribbled the keeper, instead of hastily volleying the ball, he could have scored. The commentator even said Zambia should bury the game now! Alas, it hit the post, and no Zambian in sight for the re-bound, Zimbabwe grabbed the ball quickly and raced to Zambia’s goal-mouth and scored. Something was seriously wrong with those players. Chambeshi is not a good coach, hes a bit dull. So he should out of the national team NOW. Viva expatriate coach

    • Even Ethiopia once won afcon but no one is afraid of them (the same way no one is afraid of Zambia), history is nothing to go by. For your own infor I’d forgotten that you once won Afcon and I think most people had forgotten too. Most people know who first won the Afcon (Egypt) but nobody cares about who won after just the same way everyone knows who was the first person to land on the moon but nobody gives a damn about who was the second person to go there. With your Afcon trophy in the cabinet you lose to Mozambique what about when your meet Zimbabwe , DRC or the real South Africa

  18. Zambia is 16 years older than Zimbabwe, you used to beat us before we had a strong league just after the liberation war. Truly we’ve never bn close to a silverware is but honestly look at the spiritual environment surrounding your greatest achievements in Afcon. You reached the finals after losing players (may their souls rest in peace) in a plane crash at a coast in Gabon and went on to lift the Cup in the same country you lost your players. Are you aware of the rituals that you players performed at the coast, to bring back the spirits of the late players to assist them in both games ? Are you aware that after the rituals Zambia had 22 players on the pitch 11 physical beings and 11 spiritual ? Don’t just boast without an analysis of circumstances surrounding your successes.

  19. zim or zambia we r one. we shld be proud of the improvement of the game in southern Africa. i think Zambia played well and competitively it was a gud match. the team wth has resources and really need to improve and represent southern region is South Africa. m Zimbo and i enjoy wen Zambia plays.

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