Ex-Chipolopolo striker Dennis Lota says the tag of African Champions will not in any way help Zambia to defend the Africa Cup title in South Africa next year.
Lota, a veteran of four Nations Cup (1996,1998,2000 and 2002), said the 2013 Africa Cup will be different from the 2012 edition held in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
The former Sion,Orlando Pirates and Moroka Swallows player predicted that the upcoming Africa Cup will be tricky.
Lota, an assistant coach at South African side Moroka Swallows, charged that not even Ivory Coast are favourites to win next year’s Africa Cup.
“The situation at next year’s Africa Cup is going to be totally different from what we experienced in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea this year,” he said
“If we are going to the Nations Cup thinking because we are champions it’s going to be easy, it’s not going to be easy.
“Of late the tournaments have been full of surprises so even this one there maybe a dark-horse, I can’t say Ivory are favourites”.
Zed are favourites.
Bane they even televised the last final btwn Zed and Ivory coast on Euro sport wednesday night here, imagine i sat on the edge of my sit even if we won, am telling you everyone naba tumpingila and everyone is curious as to how we will perform this time around, am really abit scared for us cos those west africans want to revenge the embarrassment kanshi, i dont know if i will be watching, am thinking of recording them and then when i hear the result watch, am knida afraid, hope we make it.
Same here, last time i watched with the Cameroonian community which was supporting Zed. Being in the city of 1% of foreigners are from the Southern part of Africa, and the rest is 90% west Africans who think they are the best in everything.
@sana, you made my day. you were on the edge though you knew the results. Once a supporter of chipolopolo always a supporter. god bless you. whatever, the results we will be behind the boys.
West Africans are our customers. Worry about the north Africans we may meet in the quarter finals.
You have hit the nail on the header.We should expect a tough quarter final draw, either Ivory coast,Tunisia or Algeria.
Lota you failed to win AFCON so just shut up. Zambia has good team that should have won in 2010 as well. We will defend AFCON no doubt about that. Just wait and see you failure
You never win a football tournament alone.Teamwork is key. Kalusha,Abedi Pele and George Weah have also never won the Africa cup as players.
i agree with you lota just go to bed makaka
Lota, what kind of Zambian are you, without any sense of patriotism? You never had hope in your time, that is why you never won the cup. There is no way we are going to go back to the times of believing that we can’t. We shall do all we can to defend the cup. Imwe ngatamusela mu life yenu, ikaleni fye uko kwine ku South Africa. Kuno ku Zambia tulasela. We are people who are on the move, always achieving greater results.
The rare kind who is objective and sincere!
This former Zambian
Lota is very right.
While we must all agree that Zambia is one of Africa’s best teasms currently, we need to be humble enough to recognize that no single team has the advantage at AFCON 2013. Having won the last edition makes it alll the more tougher for Zambia since it is one of the more exposed teams. Viva Chipolopolo.
The cup is winnable again. Zambia is as tough as they come. No team is invisible. Put confidence in the team and stop talking about the threat. zambia can beat chelsea today if they played, i know it very well.
Lota is very right and objective not blinded by patronism that’s what makes him a good pundit…the difference between last AFCON and now is that we were underdogs then and now we are champions who have not taken friendlies and preparations seriously. HR has also not been convincing so far…
Lota is right, he ddnt say we will lose but that it will be tough.. and havent prepared much like others have done.
whatever!!!
I have not seen Zambia line up as many predatory matches before AFCON as they have this time…..last time they only played one serious match against Nigeria and then went to India for holiday to bust their morale….the upcoming program is appropriate considering the teams chipolopolo will face at Group stage, Lota’s observations are valuable but I think Zambia should not have serious problems to make it to the quarter finals. Viva Ziiiiii…
Have never trusted HR and Kalu after i got the truth on the hatred they over on the soccer genuinious Clifford Mulenga and singuluma… how do they pick felix katongo at the expense of clifford, kola
Senegal have far more accomplished players than Clifford and Kola but were booted out of the Africa cup 2012 without winning a single match.
shame on you singuluma has been called to prove him self
Guys no need to insult Lota. He is just making his analysis of the current situation with our team.The man is a coach.he knows what he’s talking about.We just lost to Tanzania and lost 2 Malawi as well. Anyone who follows soccer has got 2 be concerned.Obviously Dennis still remembers what happened to Zambia in 1996.Zambia went in the tournament big headed having come out 2nd to Nigeria in the previous edition. Do you remember what happened? Tunisia booted us out by a 2-4 scoreline.Wake up Zed
Hard work, team work and humility saw us through to the finals as the Lord helped on the way. Please Zambia remember this…… trust God, work hard, be united and walk in humility…God bless my country
Very good analysis from Lota. We just have to take each and every game very serious at the 2013 AFCON as no team will do us any favours. They know that we have the converted crown and that we are the team to beat. They have watched all our games from the previous AFCON and are studying our strengths and weaknesses. i don’t take results from friendlies seriously as they have no bearing on the real games. An example is the 1996 semi final defeat to Tunisia. We had outclassed and beaten them 3 – 0 in a friendly in Lusaka and they they(media and Tunisians) heaped all sorts of praises on us. The real game came and we were wired 4 – 2. let us not forget that Zambia were the highest scoring team at this tournament and Kalu was top scorer but we never the cup.
We just need to be focused and take each game as it comes seriously no underdogs. As Zambians let us give the boys all the support they need. It is not an impossible task to defend a trophy but it requires selfless hard work, focus and determination.
Kanshi na bola ine efyo twalelushila! Ba LOTA!!! Very negative, call it whatever but I reckon Lota is not expressing any objectivity. Positive criticism is welcome with specific constructive suggestions as to what to avoid in order to successfully defend the cup. Not the prophet of doom approach! A veteran kwisa?
Viva Chipolopolo, AFCON here we come. Bonse ni Ziiii!
ichikankala natusendapo ka cup and no one wil change this history ukuchila ukulalandafye ati tulibakali.