Zambia Under 20 are out, but three players for me made the mark in Canada that culminated in that 2-1 defeat against The Flying Eagles Nigeria in their last 16 match played on Thursday in Ottawa.
Nigeria played with some pragmatic passion, power and sheer technique that I yearn to see but is void in all four classes of Chipolopolo.
Against Nigeria, Zambia were out-passed, out-ball-controlled, out-possessed, out-gunned and out-run. To put it mildly, we were outclassed.
And if it wasn’t for Clifford Mulenga I swear we would have literally been run-off the park by Nigeria.
No one should kid themselves; yes we made it to the last 16 but only three Zambian players in Canada came close to making the class of 2010.
I have never been a great fan of one Clifford Mulenga and his manager would testify to that fact after “rubbing him the wrong way” on a number of occasions with some poor ratings on the youngman I’ve made in previous postings of the player over the years.
We certainly will be seeing more of the Pretoria University FC striker for the next decade and hopefully after Canada this will be Mulenga’s big break after botched deals in Sweden, Belgium and France.
Edusport and Ex-National Assembly Striker Rogers Kola too gets my nod for his great industry and his two goals at the tournament put some gloss on his CV.
I have been a great admirer of the giant striker since I first saw him in action last season for Assembly.
Kola has great potential but needs to work harder on his anticipation of the ball on the last mile and I give him a C-minus for his aerial ability.
His heading is still as awful as it was in the league last season.
Third and final on my list is the Kabwe Warriors prodigy Emmanuel Mayuka.
Mayuka was a late inclusion in the team after making an impressive league debut with the railwaymen this season with an impressive personal haul of 8 competitive goals to date this season.
Mayuka acquainted himself well in Canada after being with the team for less than four months.
He might just make the Euro-grade on the agent’s books this summer and looks like he has a great future ahead should he not follow the route of well documented fairytales-turned-into-nightmares.
Many of our players didn’t realize the significance of Thursday’s game.
Any African team playing The Flying Eagles Nigeria on a roll at this level must realize that this is a big benchmark.
Kola, Mulenga and Mayuka proved they punched above their weight against The Flying Eagles.
If you can’t rock or score against bunch of coveted talents like the 2005 Fifa Under 20 World Cup runners-up are then you have no chance.
Uruguay, Spain games do count too but the hungry vultures are always on the lookout for the next big thing out of Africa and Nigeria are always top billing.
Meanwhile, the quality exists in Zambia but our local coaches are very prejudicial in their criteria to select players on their technical merit.
Power, speed and size laced with good ball technique are all key attributes of the modern game but our coaches prefer journeymen midgets with flair and almost aimless pace.
The team meanwhile returns home this Sunday, July 15 and land at Lusaka International Airport at 10:00 hrs local time.
We need to help this boys for the future.My advice to the coaches and the great Kulu is look at this boys as there children.We all know that it is at this stage that they feel we and also men and what come to they head.My advice to faz is that , have a chat with the USA embassy in Lusaka with the help of the sports minister to have go and play with the USA youth national team. I know most of them will get a chance of scholarship.If they can not speak english that is not a big problem,because it is the talent that is needed. More dollars go the USA. 15 to 20’000 per month boys and buy farms and houses.
There are more jobs in the sports sector if well developed. 22 boys at the youth world cup will come back with some dollar and this at the all africa games.
If well paid at this games like othe countries are paying there teams something like 100 dollar per day,
then this boys and girls will come and do some business at the Soweto market or buy some small land build a ka 2 roomed house. Learn from mistake’s and starting paying them well.
our boys dont eat well, they re physically weak. zambian coaches believe that book knowledge of a game can make you win? ask kalusha in the last africa cup.
U-23 Zambia 3: Egypt 1 Cheer the boys!!!!!
We should not relax Gui has also beaten Alg 2:1
ZAM 2 4 2 0 1 4
Gui 2 3 2 0 1 4
Alg 2 4 3 1 0 3
We should not relax boys Gui has also beaten Alg 2:1
ZAM 2 4 2 0 1 4
Gui 2 3 2 0 1 4
Alg 2 4 3 1 0 3
I would like to express my disappointment to this main article entitled “Grandstand.†One can only tell that the writer is only exercising his analytical and critical skills. I doubt very much if he has played football at any stage, be it competitive or social. I write as one who is an ardent soccer fan but also one who has played it for social purposes. My analysis of this game is simple, the under 20 teams in Canada participating in the current soccer event are the world’s best. Whether you believe it or not, that’s not my station. Out of these top best countries of the world, Zambia had an opportunity to be amongst the four teams representing Africa and let-alone the 16 from the whole globe. Your analysis is misplaced because I believe the same guys who are in Canada today will be seen in the next world cups. All we have to do is give our under 20 a red carpet plus a heroes’ welcome. They have achieved what many southern African nations failed to achieve. Ask yourself, where was Germany, England, France etc in the tournament? They did not make it. Maybe you need to know what the U-20 World cup is all about. The FIFA U-20 World Cup, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Federation International of Football Association (FIFA). The Championship has been awarded every two years since the first tournament in 1977.
Often, some of the biggest names in the sport make their first mark on the world’s stage at this competition. These include Diego Maradona (1979), Bebeto, Dunga (1983), Romário, René Higuita, José Luis Chilavert (1985), Davor Å uker, Robert ProsineÄki (1987) Paulo Sousa, Fernando Couto, João Manuel Vieira Pinto, Sonny Anderson, Santiago Cañizares, Ismael Urzaiz, Diego Simeone, Oleg Salenko (1989), Rui Costa, LuÃs Figo, Dwight Yorke (1991), Samuel Kuffour (1993), Nwankwo Kanu, David Trézéguet, Thierry Henry, Juan Román Riquelme, Pablo Aimar, Esteban Cambiasso, Michael Owen, Damien Duff (1997), Ronaldinho, Xavi, Iker Casillas, Rafael Márquez (1999), Arjen Robben, Adriano, Michael Essien, Javier Saviola (2001), Andres Iniesta, Carlos Tevez, Javier Mascherano (2003),Cesc Fà bregas, John Mikel Obi and Lionel Messi (2005).
In the fifteen tournaments held, only seven nations have won the title. Argentina is the most successful team with five titles, followed by Brazil with four titles. Portugal won two titles, while Germany , Spain, and formerly existing nations Soviet Union and Yugoslavia have won the title once each.
A corresponding event for women’s teams, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Championship, began in 2002 with an age limit of 19. The age limit for the women’s competition was changed to 20 beginning with the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Championship.
Brave Under 20. You are great. No doubt
#7 PezKu I think the analysis is in line with what happened on the pitch if you watched the match. Reading some Canadian papers here it is clear that we were totally outclassed and we need to improve. There is no doubt that the standard of football in Zambia has gone so down that we even celebrate beating teams like Lesotho and Botswana. I think since the Gabon air crash the entry barrier into the national team was drastically lowered such that even *****s who used to play Chibuku football found themselves in the national team and I personally know a number of them and don’t want to mention them. And this entry bar has remained low for some time now and we need somebody to raise it. That is why we value people like Mbesuma and take them to world stage and they can’t perform. Peaope like Sinkala stuck in a division 2 and where is this pro Gift Kampamba who I last heard was in Russia. Watching him at Nkana we thought he was the next Derby Makinka- low entry bar effect
Gift Kampamba is playing for City Pillars of South Africa, in an equivalent of Zambian division one league.
Zambia 2 1 1 0 4 2 4 Guinea 2 1 1 0 3 2 4 Algeria 2 1 0 1 3 3 3 Egypt 2 0 0 2 2 5 0 THE TABLE LOOKS GOOD FOR NOW, WE SHUD WAIT 4 THE FINAL GROUP GAMES i.e ALG V ZAM, GUI V EGY. GOOD LUCK ZAMBIA!
#8Soccer Fan No 6, #7 PezKu comment is well founded. I don’t think it’s proper for anyone to dismiss the teams performance through out the tournament because of the one match they got outclassed and by a very good team. You need to give credit where it’s due. So we now celebrate when we beat Lesotho and Botswana…a win is win, and certainly worth celebrating, especially if you win despite having been poorly prepared in terms of food, infrastructure, meagre pay, pseudal expert coaches, and everything negative you can think of.
I also disagree somewhat with the analysis. Yes, maybe they were not in the same league as Nigeria in terms of depth in the squad, but the players have done a great job. Instead of battering them and consistently putting down the current national teams, stop looking and comparing to the pre-1993 chopolopolo. Great national teams are built on good youth systems. This is a positive sign that Zambia is on the way up, even though the tactical nous may not be evident. Look at Portgual and France…They have invested heavily in youth development since the 1980s…and they have both become powerhouses in recent years.
I have noticed that there is large skepticism from fans, and even when the team wins there is doubt that they will get further. I didn’t believe they would beat Nigeria, but I knew they would have a chance. I think they didn’t concentrate, passing wasn’t as good as the other games, and again defence was poor. Tighten up the defence, and this team will have more success!!
The team performed well in terms of skill. As I had earlier mentioned we were caught napping only a few times through technical lapses that I had hoped we were going to address. Our goalkeeper has a good height advantage but his judgment needs to be revamped. He contributed to our loss. Since our defense was outdone in height, you cannot wait in goal because none of your troops would shield you from menacing tall strikers that Nigeria had. A risk but best defense is to go for every ball and punch it away under the circumstance since our goal keeper matched them in height! (Provided he made sure to hit every ball! A miss is a disaster in-waiting!) Similarly, conceding a goal in early minutes tends to alter the game plan, our technical bench needed to address this by employing permutations as the game progresses with 5-3-2, 4-4-2 or others depending on need. Having played the same team before, should have been advantageous for us even to go in a classroom, watch the videos and apply some lessons. We should always be open to learning and never feel threatened even for seasoned pros like Kalu to advice. Remember, in a multitude of counsel, there is safety.
As much as some people may say that Zambia U20 team in Canada performance was outstanding my feelings and observations are negative because some people are so backwards,that the call proffessional advice from people like the THE GREAT KALU as taking over coaching what a shame damn you and just looking the way they were playing you can tell that it was some kinda of a collection of a group of skilled talented young lads with no proffessional or techinical know how so to say which makes me wonder who ever the coach was needs some ball skills to impart to these talented ypung ball whiz,why I say so those of you who a chance of watching all the games played honestly people agree with me,did u see the goals they were scoring just CHIPATEPATE type of play it;s a goal or luckly penalty coming to defence I wont even dare waste my time write about that same as system of play,so my advice to you all who called the sports minister to say THE GREAT KALU is trying to takeover coaching try to learn
#14 mfumu
What is your point. Do you have evidence that people from this blog called you so called minister to complain about Kalu “le grande”?
Take your undying support for Kalu elsewhere.This is a soccer blog and do not about politics and please do not taking us into tempetation chief.
#15 Hey look here Kemps buddy I didn’t say people from this blog the people in my message so to speak I meant some quater of Zambian’s referring to the story which was in the post paper,anyways man sorry if u were offended personally next time try hard to read between the lines ones opinion good lucky aight!
There are no lines to read between because this is a straight forward statement and I quote, “so my advice to you all who called the sports minister to say THE GREAT KALU is trying to takeover coaching try to learn”
The above statement can only be referred to people on this blog for how else can the people you meant the story for see your message.
Good luck for your future but just so you know, the under-20 boys played organised football and not your Chipantepante soccer. They reached the last 16 because of the abilities of both the players and the technical team.
How many countries in the world would have loved to be in our position. The boys did well and we must be pround of them. What we can not afford in Zambia is situation where everything football begins and ends with Kalu “le grande”
He has served mother Zambia with distinction but the story of Zambian football does not begin and end with him.
Good luck for your future
# 16 Chief, There are no lines to read between because this is a straight forward statement and I quote, “so my advice to you all who called the sports minister to say THE GREAT KALU is trying to takeover coaching try to learn”
The above statement can only be referred to people on this blog for how else can the people you meant the story for see your message.
Good luck for your future but just so you know, the under-20 boys played organised football and not your Chipantepante soccer. They reached the last 16 because of the abilities of both the players and the technical team.
How many countries in the world would have loved to be in our position. The boys did well and we must be pround of them. What we can not afford in Zambia is situation where everything football begins and ends with Kalu “le grande”
He has served mother Zambia with distinction but the story of Zambian football does not begin and end with him.
Good luck for your future
#18 Kemps hey I gat you buddy and I rest my case for now period on a right note my apologies to the blog and I wish the best for U23 to whack Cameroon in the semi finals Go Zambia good luck n God bless.
# 19 mfumu,
I also rest my case. You are a real man and enjoy your day.
Good luck to the under-23n against Cameroon.
I have a feeling U-23 are making it to the finals where they will meet Guinea again. Thereafter, who knows.
I also gut Hunch we beating Cameroon this time.It’s high time and we going we to the final with confidence.
Did you beat Cameroun now. Shame