Thursday, March 28, 2024

Renard admits Zambia was Second Best

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Herve Renard has conceded defeat via a draw after Ethiopia outclassed the African champions to a 1-1 draw.

“I think the fault today is the fault of the coach,” Renard said.

“Because he didn’t prepare his team well at the start of the tournament. That means the responsibility is on me.”

Zambia’s results comes on the back of a five game winless run in the buildup to the tournament that saw them collect just two draws and three defeats.

“But I am sure we will play well in the next two games and see after that,” Renard said.

Renard meanwhile refused to single out a player for being outstanding but thanked Kennedy Mweene for saving Zambia from a potentially embarrassing defeat.

“I think today we have to thank our goalkeeper because without Kennedy it would have been a very, very bad result I think today we deserve what we got,” Renard said.

118 COMMENTS

    • HH himonde hichaani said the first garm will not
      be easy. Lets waite for nigeria befor we conclud bazaambia hope is there win the last two CHISAMBA lUNGU is not a defender the coach has tryed this boy three times in defence and he has allowed three goes its not working.

    • Food, dont blame Chisamba for that goal, his performance outweighed the mistakes he made. For me he was zambia’s best player secondedby Chansa….

  1. Ethiopia are a good team and I can see them give Nigeria or Bukina faso problems. We need to rediscover our form and beat Nigeria on Friday to stand any chances of defending the title. It’s only the first game and the other two teams look as though they play the type of game we like.

    Let’s take the life line and make the best of it!! Chipolopolo iyeeee, Chipololopolo!

    • The coach should be bold enough to make substitutes…Mukuka Mulenga created an energy that saw us push for a goal, Chris was too selfish, got tired in the second half and should have been pulled off long before the last six minutes, Lungu playing defence just doesn’t work-as much as he had a great game he was caught off the ball in a run that eventually led to Ethiopia scoring…finally Kalaba too should have been substituted-he played way below par and my dear boy became a liability to the squad…Nigeria is beatable, in God I trust!

    • Do you as well believe that Sata is the one to blame? It was simply an forgivable taboo for Sata to visit the team, thank God he left to feed his dog he renamed Kabimba.
      And what Bamuka Yama was doing, she shouldn’t do that ever again.

    • LON. i think you are the evil person and NOT president Sata . Zambia was beaten by a small teams during preparation matches including the underdogs like Tanzania what evil has Sata brought to the team ?Think like a normal person football is football and politics are politics leave them somewhere .

    • ehe,Sata is evil.He gave the boys bad luck and back home he is busy giving my husband’s party,UPND, a hard time….arresting HH all the time! You will see when UPND wins in 2016,just hope you do not die before then! After all I will be second lady,garry,vice president!Ok now,enjoying as acting director at Human rights,will make sure all employees here are UPND..those who refuse…fired!!! ha ha ha ha! power is sweet!

  2. Please coach tell your boys to aggresively attack. Not the boringly lazy game they played against Ethiopia. We have been telling you to tell your lads to be fast but you don’t listen why? Let them attack not always playing in their own area. What kind of a coach are you who does not listen? Atese bane.

    • I didn’t see when they play football!!! what are you talking you loser Zambian.why don’t you admit what Ethiopian did?
      We show you what foot ball look like. Getting trophy is one thing playing foot ball like Ethiopia and Barcelona is Love. Tell your boys to give prior to love football not money.
      Shut your loser mouse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. Guys chill. This is the same coach we had when we won last year. I think our team lacks players with big character and skill. Kalaba is not fit, Katongo totally useless and Joseph Musonda a headless chicken. But let’s hope for the best on Friday.

    • I thought Joseph Musonda played well and was surprised he was removed. But I agree with you that the team lacks character…. we are more on one-touch football but no drive, no hunger to win. And the agony is character and the desire or passion to achieve cannot be taught to players – it’s either they have it or they don’t. Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho, Obama, Kenneth Kaunda and Mandela have something about their characters that makes/made them defeat enemies. Our players also have very low ambitions and may be even self-esteem. Hope they do better against Nigeria and Bukina Faso.

  4. Courage boys and avoid the cards, you received too much yelllow cards sign of being underpressure. Second point is be accurate in your passes and tribbling going backwards stop. However you still have a chance. God bless you and guide you as you are playing football. Viva chipolopolo!

  5. The result is an early wake up call to remind the players that there will be no easy games. As a matter of fact, being the reigning champion means that we are the team that everyone would want to beat. It is too early to judge but Zambia is like my team Arsenal i.e. “They do not deliver when you expect them to do so”.

    • The problem i see him with is height especially if you look at a lot of Western African teams, they are very tall players.

    • Problem with cheating your age is that modern football is very physical; you can cheat on paper but you can’t cheat your body. Only Roger Miller managed it at aged 50 but on paper claimed to be aged 42

  6. The Team is just useless including that coach.How do you draw with an inexperinced Ethiopia who was 1 man down even how???

    The coach should have started the following players;
    Mayuka
    Mukuka Mulenga
    Felix Katongo
    Jacob Mulenga
    He should have benched;
    Christopher Warrant Katongo
    and i dont know other names

    • Jelita, do you think Jacob really deserves a place in the team with that kind of performace? He was a liability in the team when he came in as a substitute. Renard should not give him another chance

  7. Zambia should stop playing names anymore.i wonder what the coach was doing in training. Kalaba was a shadow of himself, Chris katongo was a passenger in the entire game, Hichani himonde lacked confidence, hence the pressure on Stopilla. Jacob Mulenga was too selfish.hats off to Mweene (as usual), nathan Sinkala, Chansa, stopilla,

  8. M.C Sata’s Voice
    1.You the so called Zambian guys instead of watchng the game you are busy admiring Ethiopian Hot gals…
    2. I have not blood Lost the game, u the so called Ref busy giving fake, fake yellow card!
    3. Instead of using a plane wen coming back, the players shall just walk! they’r busy wasting tax payers money!!!!
    4. Am Hunting for the Ref, he has run away….
    5. And the CAF comes to me, u think am in Zimbabwe.
    6. How can simple Ethopians have 100,000 supporters, these are inflated figures…
    YOU THE SO CALLED REPORTERS…. ASK THEM!!

  9. The Burkinabes have given us a reprieve by holding Nigeria scoring an equaliser in the 94th minute. What that does is press a re-set button in group C to default. All groups level at 1 point each. But that has also sent warning shots that no team in thes group will take it lying down, they all be competitive and play their game.

    Renahrd should be courageous, rest Chrios Katongo and start with Jacob Mulenga along side King David Collins Mbesuma in attack. Chris was not only selfish as usual but he was also non-existence to support the midfield.

    In the midfield, Rainfold Kalaba needs to pick pace quickly, otherwise give the chance to fearles and creative Mukuka Mulenga to start. Our left back has always been work in progress!!

    We have to beat Nigeria on Friday or at least avoid…

  10. Where were the flanking bursts of runs toward goal in anticipation of a long pass? Three attackers just making bursts (at high speed) of runs toward goal at same time thereby confusing their opponents. Didn’t the boys watch the last game of Real Madrid?

  11. Face the facts. Chipolopolo looked lazy and undisciplined. To have thrown away a match in which they were a man up and a goal up against a reserve keeper?? Here’s hoping they come out determined to play in the future. No god is going to organize their midfield for them.

  12. Chisamba Lungu was my man of the match. Chris Katongo was selfish as we created chances which if he had passed the result would have been different. The defence was pretty shaky and needs to be worked on. Mbesuma was sharp, Kalaba was not himself. I also give credit to Ethiopia as they are no pushovers and could be a surprise package

  13. as ethiopian i am happy we won, but i thought the Zambia should and could have won the game.
    Zambia players are taller and stronger they should have taken advantage of that with deep passes on corner kick and setpieces
    but Go Team Ethiopia, Go Lions , Go Walyas
    hook em .

  14. No. 1 Dojo Do, ur my man i had the eaxct words, i have been saying it on this media that Chris is becoming selfish and he wasted a clear chance and clear pass. the way ethiopia scored we could have scored in a smilar situation had the man not been selfish. This a thought for coach othjerwise the captain costed us the game & will continue like that becoz he is becoming more and more selfish. There was no team work, they guy want to shine when he has niom skill. Foolish captain & coach for keeping him long in the game, i dont think he even deserves first place in the team.
    African football is now for the youths, katongo, felix, chamanga and joseph should rest, we need freshh blood-singuluma, fwayo, kola etc. Jacob & mayuka dont be a shame show us why you are in europe.

  15. We were very careless with the ball especially Katongo and Kalaba.Mr Renard pls here is Zambia’s first eleven to play against Nigeria : 1.Mweene 2.Musonda 3. Mbola 4.Himonde 5. Sunzu. 6. Sinkala 7.J.Mulenga 8.M.Mulenga 9. Mbesuma 10.Mayuka 11.C.Lungu. This is Zambia X1. GOD BLESS ZAMBIA.

    • I see 3 strikers in your line-up….remove 1 striker and replace him with Chansa. We dont need to have Jacob, Mbesuma and Mayuka at the same time coz that ‘ll leave wit Chamanga( ikula ) on the bench…

  16. DON’T INSULT SATA M******MWA TAMWASUMA ATI MWALILUSA BA OPPOSITION.AKUNWENIFWYE AMESHI PA BENCH NA 2016 MUKALUSA NAKAMBI

  17. meant no. 2. Otherwise there is No team spirit , selfish players,jacob Mulenga no value,chris-selfish, kalaba-not fit and could not run, sinkala- could not do his usual defences, hichani-nervous, left wing was no where. we were one man up but were still under pressure, surely ba coach whats the problem. i thot after the red card and mbesuma’s goal as well as being champoins all that remained was to accumulate more goal aggregates.
    useless, we need to be serious, why were we under presure foir nothing, are we not prepared pycologically, dont we have pycologists, or are we still in the 2012 that we will win.
    Next team coach take notice;
    1. Mweene, 2. Nkausu. 3.Mbola. 4. Hichani. 5.Sunzu.6 Sinkala 7. Chisamba. 8. Mukuka Mulenga 9.Mbesuma 10. Mayuka. 11. Kalaba. thats my winning team

  18. zambia is going no where ,players like jacob who falling to hold the ball, basics of football ball control. I do not know where you are getting the confidence that you can beat the Might Eagles. last year win was a fluke, see zambia exiting at the first round

  19. Still you Zambian comment senseless why don’t you admit what Ethiopian did?
    We show you what foot ball look like. Getting trophy is one thing playing foot ball like Ethiopia and Barcelona is Love. Give prior to love football not money.
    Shut your loser mouse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • You are right Ethiopia were a better team. The players played as a team, they were determined, they were fast and they were tactically better. The opposite is true of yesterday’s Zambian team. It is very doubtful that Zambia will reach the quarter finals.

    • aaah ethiopian @ YIDNU u r right, but tell me why trying for 30 yrs before finally coming to the Afcon if Ethiopia is sooo good. Ethiopia draw was just a fluk. Lets see the next 2 matches what happens.
      The big mistake Zambia made was not to try shooting at the ethiopian goalie who was such a big suspect in the second half…first matches at any tournament are very difficult, lets give zambia a chance in the next match.

    • Ethiopian players are so thin and unfit, is ethiopia still not producing enough food? Is that the reason why so many are refugees in South Africa?

  20. That was really pathetic perfomance by Chipolopolo boys.I don’t knw why Rena keeps katongo and chansa in the team.Katongo is so selfish.We would have won that game if Katongop was not selfish.Let him be on the bench.Please Rena if u listern keep katongo on bench.The man wants to be a hero even when he is in bad position to score.Chansa passes were also useless.please drop Chansa,Katongo Jacob.Hachani Himonde also lack forcus.He is panincking too much.It terrible that we don’t have a defender to play dat number.My line up for da next game:
    1. Mweene, 2. Nkausu. 3.Mbola. 4. Hichani. 5.Sunzu.6 Sinkala 7. Chisamba. 8. Mukuka Mulenga 9.Mbesuma 10. Mayuka. 11. Kalaba.

    • First matches are generally difficult especially if u are under pressure to prove a point as Chipolopolo are…most teams need the first match to settle down; Ghana, Nigeria, Algeria, South Africa etc.. all had their difficulties in the first match, but unfortunately theres only 3 match and u cannot give too much chance to your so-called unfavoured opponents.

  21. That was really pathetic perfomance by Chipolopolo boys.I don’t knw why Rena keeps katongo and chansa in the team.Katongo is so selfish.We would have won that game if Katongop was not selfish.Let him be on the bench.Please Rena if u listern keep katongo on bench.The man wants to be a hero even when he is in bad position to score.Chansa passes were bad .please drop Chansa,Katongo Jacob.Hachani Himonde also lack forcus.He is panincking too much.It terrible that we don’t have a defender to play dat number.My line up for da next game:
    1. Mweene, 2. Nkausu. 3.Mbola. 4. Hichani. 5.Sunzu.6 Sinkala 7. Chisamba. 8. Mukuka Mulenga 9.Mbesuma 10. Mayuka. 11. Kalaba.

  22. 1. Mweene, 2. Nkausu. 3.Mbola. 4. Hichani. 5.Sunzu.6 Sinkala 7. Chisamba. 8. Mukuka Mulenga 9.Mbesuma 10. Mayuka. 11. Kalaba.

    • “Ladies love him for looks” REALLY? Where did you get the stats from? Most likely, it is a statistically insignificant number who see him in that way. Please get me right, I have nothing against him, though. If anything, I WANT HIM TO SUCCESSEEEEEEED in football couching. Love? I am not lady, so I have a different perspective altogether.

  23. Next game line up 1. Mweene, 2. Nkausu. 3.Mbola. 4. Hichani. 5.Sunzu.6 Sinkala 7. Chisamba. 8. Mukuka Mulenga 9.Mbesuma 10. Mayuka. 11. Kalaba.Please drop Katongo and Chansa.

    • Moscoww(OP)!!!!! If you watched that game carefully, you cannot say Chansa should be dropped. The goal that Mbesuma scored, Chansa created that chance. The through ball to Chisamba Lungu that made the Ethiopian keeper commit a foul, was also from Chansa. I cannot help it but think that Chansa played very well.

  24. Katongo is very selfish!! Very indispline officer! We would have won the game hard not been for his selfishness. Ma rubish,naiwe ka rena you should be quick in making changes. Nigeria wafwa come Friday.

  25. Lets also admit that Ethiopia played like brute beasts, they were rough and scared our boys. I knew something was amiss when after scoring the lone goal Chipolopolo started praying to their various pagan gods instead of doing the Donchi kubeba song and dance! Lets not lose hope, the boys are still the best on the continent and I firmly believe they will produce a shocker with the super eagles on Friday. But they should start aggressively pushing for a goal from the get go. Remember every jim and jack of this Afcon is after our trophy, so defend it!

  26. I am sorry to say that if we play like that in our next two games then we will be on our way back home. Their was no ambition, no passion, and we were outplayed in all departments. Surely, Renard is right when he says he did not prepare this team well to defend our title. It is always typical of people who achieve something and think that they are the best. Renard should have known that Zambia is a team to beat at the AFCON. Every team wants to prove a point when they play us.

    It is typical of us Zambians to relax when we touch the fringes of success! We need to increase our hunger in the next two games. We won’t accept to come out in the group stages. Come on guys show the world you are champs! Where is all that laziness come from? Switch on lads!

  27. Ethiopia played well, lets give credit where it is due. I agree with some comments, lets start with Mbesuma and Mayuka upfront then Kalaba, Nathan, Chisamba and Mukuka should be in mid field. The back four can remain as it was, but let Chris, Jacob and Chansa start on the bench. After the AFCON the coach should scout for players to replace Muzo, Mbola, Nkausu and HH. I dont think thez are the best defenders we have in Zambia, that Katebe and Salulani boys should seriously be considered for national duty… I rest my case

  28. the boys were disappointed with us the supporters. Lets not blame their perfomance they need our support. This friday lts go nd support them. SA is like next door guys.

  29. Please ba Coach drop Katongo and make Mweene Captain of the team against Nigeria. My winning team:
    1.Mweene 2.Musonda 3. Mbola 4.Himonde 5. Sunzu. 6. Sinkala 7. Isaac Chansa 8.M.Mulenga 9. Mbesuma 10.Mayuka 11.C.Lungu.

  30. As Ethiopia I am happy I know zambia are strong team but ethiopian are very strong ZAMBIA are not use the chance of the red card they are not aware to change the game even after red card even ethiopian are not use the penality generaly they are all styrong team …………..

  31. I Think its good that our coach has seen himself as a mistake maker.We hope that hes going to correct that mistake.We still have the chance.Lets continue giving our support to our guys i hope will do better in the next game against Nigeria.It will be our day.Go Chipolopolo Go we are behind you.We are returning our trophy no what.

    • I think the strategy was okay, the guys did not just take the chances they created , katongo and Jacob were also a bit selffish trying to score instead of letting someone in a good position shoot a goal, its not that Ethopia out played us or we were constantly under presure from them , in fact it was the other way round

  32. THE COACH HAS GOOD PLAYERS BUT WHAT HE DID WAS FINISH ENOUGH HOW CAN YOU CHANGE AN ATTACKING PLAN TO 343 THATS TO FINISH EVEN A MAD PERSON CAN’T DO THAT

  33. Jacob selfish & needs to gel with a strike partner like Mbesuma/Mayuka; C.Katongo very selfish, lost & uncoordinated with the rest of the team-e.g the header he sent over Collins was going to blast it home; Kalaba not fit & off key; Nathan looked lost/stray; HH pressurized Stopi, looked lost & panicky. Generally we’re lacking a striking partnership- think of Mbesuma geling bwino na Jacob/Mayuka. Mukuka should be given more game time i like his incisive movements-the boy is great.

  34. The coach is doing well but come on, you boys, do well and never be afraid to any team. I know the spirits of those dead Zambians team helped them win at Gabon and then they rested in peace with rejoice. Here’s in SA, I don’t think they need to came over to help them so please do your bests to win against Nigeria and Burkina Faso. Go Chipo!

  35. Guys, guys, guys, bikeni bola panshi, shani ukulandalanda, we are still in contention at AFCON. Go and support them in numbers, akaso ba Zambia. Nigerians travelled by road for four days. Imwe one day but just complaining. Tondolo musuma bane. Do you guys realise that playing football is not like drinking beer at a club/bar where you go and cheer Zambia? Leave the coach alone for now because he conceded defeat. He will do better in the next two matches. For now, bola panshi, that is football for you. Naine nemwanakashi nakwatapo amano.

  36. Most of you guys are negative for nothing. Ethiopia simply played one of the best games so far and they could have beaten any other opponent. Congrats to Chipolopolo for not being beaten otherwise we met stronger opposition. It was not about Zambia being poor but about opposition being too good, surprised the entire world. Ethiopia is now the strongest team in the group and to get a draw against them is positive.

    • That is an Ethiopian view; I do not subscribe to it. Zambian play was just too poor on that day. I hope it was just poor on that day only, or else they will be out shortly.

      Good show for Ethiopia, though; and best wishes, too! But tell you GK not to hack another player in a similar fashion he did against Zed. It is not war. I know 100, 000 dollars is lot of money, but have regard for other human beings.

  37. Don’t we have any other player who is good at taking free-kicks? What happened to Sinkala exchanging these free kicks with both Kalaba and Mbesuma? Is Kalaba really 100% fit after his prolonged injury? I doubt. For this reason I’d not recommend for him to play 90minutes.

  38. Bonnetti should be credited for the Africa Cup win last year not Renard. This guy only coached the winning team for less than a month or so. It takes time to come up with a good team. The ongoing Afcon in South Africa will be real test for Renard. We will judge his performance on basis of this team’s performance because he has been with the boys long enough.

  39. Good game Chipolopolo though we did not show that aggressiveness as Champions. There was no sense of hunger for more Goals. Let this be a lesson. We had 2 clear goals which if well-coordinated would have just led us to victory. NIGERIA Played Rubbish just running around like chickens with no heads.

  40. GUYS! GUYS! GUYS! GUYS! – It was only the first game. Give our coach and our beloved players a chance – even though I strongly believe the coach is a fake and was just lucky last time to take over from Boneti who actually built the team. This is not the time to fight each other when we still have a long way to go. Let’s do the reflection and fight over our performance after the tournament and IF we fail to retain the cup. For now, each and every patriotic Zambia must support our team and coach. Hold your guns!!

    • This ‘patriotic’ thing is merely political word to put off others who see things differently. Get rid of it in sport. The so-called patriotic people are, in most cases, unpatriotic. We see that in Zedian politics.

  41. Gazi
    Lon
    The Socialist
    Nostradamus
    Casanova
    You guys are really cursed and you will never stop suffering till you eat your own feases six fit under ground

    • With that floppy defence of ours are you serious? Had the Ethiopians made that sub earlier they would have won the game and easily would have had Sunzu sent off; if they had a game plan!

  42. Ethopia is the toughest team in that group, and we have gone past them, watching the Nigeria game, gave me confidence that you will top the group, probabily Ethopia will be in second place.For Me chris was selfish trying to score on his own,so was Jacob its like they were trying to prove a point ad that did not help, Kalaba has not rediscoverd his form but created a few good passes, mukuka helped out to beef up kalaba, Chisamba is a good player how is useful in almost all departments but sometimes his dribling is not neccesary “trynig to shine” and then the mistakes he makes usually cost us, Mbesuma is the man, i think chris and Jacob were trying to prove a point againt Mbesuma’s goal which is not good. Joseph Musonda was good even on the attack, while Nkasu and Sinkala had a quiet…

  43. Main problem was the full backs. They thought they were Roberto Carlos. Whenever they pushed forward, they were caught napping at the back (too much space). With Nigeria’s speed, it will be a disaster with that kind of defending. They need to play the more traditional full back role (abondon the wingback role); that way they won’t expose the central defenders. Please start Mayuka to partner with Mbesuma and Mukuka in place of Chansa.

    • All these people thinking Chansa was not supposed to start should watch the game once more. Chansa created all chances those selfish strikers wasted. Had all those chances realised into goals Chansa would have been a hero.

      Yes, Mukuka Mulenga is our hope. Chisamba Lungu unnecessary dribling and most Zambians view this as playing well, very wrong. Kalaba was a shadow of himself. Nkausu was too slow and failing to move forward. Musonda and Sunzu were the only active players at the back.

  44. This is hilarious Zambian fans remind of those lazy pupils who try to cram the whole physics textbook 30 minutes from a final exam. Now you see the importance of preparations and the FIFA Ranking Table in fact from that display yesterday the table seem to favour us.
    I can not say much now as I know even the big boys panick in the first game of the tournament its how the pick themselves up and regroup in the second game that is paramount.

  45. Defense leaking all night, midfield too causal you take out Musonda for another striker, what the hell are you thinking coach? Should have taken out Chris Katongo for another striker. Holding on to the ball for too long… Share the ball ba captain, you should know better.

  46. ZAMBIA 11 can’t defend AFCON!
    Its sounds patroitic to support your own national soccer team even when logic suggests to do is a plain case of leap of faith. Zambia national soccer team is incapable of defending the AFCON ichikombe,of course they won during last contest for the same. This time around some team thirstier and hungrier for AFCON than Zambia will get it. We don’t have the drive to overhelm the other teams.
    This is my opinion,and I believe you have yours. I can’t be wrong with my take on Zambian soccer team. I wish GRZ woud dedicate more funding to sports that have produced remarkably before – remember Lottie ‘Gunduzani’ Mwale,Satwant,Matete etc.

  47. We started on the bad note but believe you me people, this is a good start it will make the boys open up there eyes nd stay force thy wil come with the cup.Bakukombone bakamba GO ZAMBIA GO

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