Patrick Phiri’s midweek 1-0 defeat away to Tanzania at the old National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday with his makeshift team has helped consolidate Africa Cup places for two players.
Barring injury, Zesco United’s duo of utility defender William Chinyama and midfielder Rainford Kalaba will certainly have a seat on the plane to Kumasi next January.
The duo showed they were a bar above the rest of the fringe players or journeymen Phiri assembled on this highly controversial friendly played on a Fifa date without any key foreign-based players.
How the result would have been different had Phiri had the services of Jacob Mulenga or Christopher Katongo or even a fit Collins Mbesuma been in the team.
However, Power Dynamos striker Francis Kombe I feel wasn’t given enough time after he was substituted late in the second half after gaining some momentum following a subdued start.
His replacement Nephias Banda of Angolan club Atletico Sport Aviacao showed little of the promise from his rip-roaring days at Power and Phiri must have regretted taking off Kombe too soon in that match.
Going back to the Zesco duo, Chinyama was outstanding on the left wing and should be good cover for Joseph Musonda of South Africa club Lamontville Golden Arrows.
How he will handle the big match temperament in Ghana will be an interesting prospect after some near-flawless displays over the last five months since making his debut against Congo-Brazzaville in an Africa Cup qualifier on June 2 in Chililabombwe on June 2.
Kalaba continued with his little engine that could performances in midfield that have played a great part in Zesco’s quest to their debut league win this season.
He was the king of midfield throughout the match and there is no doubt he is coming of age after a poor 2006 season both for club and country.
Meanwhile, there is something to smile about from Zambia’s modest showing.
They passed the ball so well on this artificial pitch without even having an hours feel of the pitch just 48 hours after landed and later informed they would face Tanzania on plastic.
Not since Nchanga Rangers beat Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa 2-0 in a CAF Cup, 2nd round match on May 6, 2000 in Johannesburg have I seen Zambian players pass the ball with passion.
However, slick passing gets you no goals and while it is a prime virtue of beautiful game, one needs some tactical discipline in defence and attack to be a winner.
I ‘am sure Faz and Phiri is looking forward to fielding a stronger side when Zambia embarks on a brief tour of Spain to play regional teams over the winter break starting on December 23.
Zambia’s next international friendly match after their Spain trip will an international friendly be against Tunisia on January 6 in Tunis.
I am sure the match against Spain will not take place. FAZ are just jokers. I am sick of dissapointments. There is nothing we have gained from Tanzania. Edwin Phiri in Sweden is a better left back than Chinyanma. Even Musonda cant compete with him. But because the damn Faz want to cut costs they willnot call him. These are cheap preparations!!! Boyd Mwila is another striking option who can be tried. He scored a goal against Manchester City in a friendly. Type in Boyd Mwila on you tube see it!
We need to try all the professionals. Not the crap local players. Misheck Lungu and co need to be assessed. Th damn FAZ want to make cheap preparations I am sure they announced a friendly against Spain because of pressure. But that match will not materialise because it’s another joke.
Indeed these are cheap preparations. The kind of teams Patrick Phiri will face in Ghana are so strong he has no idea. Sudan is much better than Bafana they have very strong club sides. I remember Bruno Metsu the man who took sengal to the world cup scowered the leagues of Europe to find the best players to play for senegal. FAZ are looking to make cheap preparations.So for the Africa cup they will only call 5 or 6 pros. That is disgusting!! It is so cheap it is shameful!!!!
they will play provisional sides not spain FAZ again misleading why is Mulonga still running FAZ
Ala ba Phiri naba FAZ muposeko amano, mwicita kwati kwangala. Samuel Eto’o takae mileke ngamwapekanya umulembwe we team!
Mune #5 walandafye bwino elyo mwaliba naba Rigo Song nabobene bakali Ba Phiri bakesa nabapeteka umucila
tukebefye ba Caf ukuti ifwe ba zambia twaleka ukuteyako africa cup umulesangwa ama team ayali nga ba nigeria ,tunisia, camerrone na ba ivory coast. tukatwalilile ukulateya cosafa nga africa cup yesu fwebene pantu kwena tulaciko bwino
I see ourselves been beaten by Sudan come next,thats why i can´t aggue with this boy in my class from sudan.When a coach from Chad once hinted that Zambia is a finished giant,many thought it was a joke,now take a look @ reality.Donno what Faz and the Gov´t are doing now cos foe real….you have let the people down!!!!!!!!!!
Is the Tanzania game enuff for our preparations???I do agrre with my brother on this blog who said that maybe we shud tell FIFA that we are finished can´t be able to to take part in any AFCON and World Cup let alone COSAFA.
FAZ is not serious!!!! its not Spain its a provisional!!!!they are cheating those guys. FAZ needs to be real Zambia has got all the potency. We just need to activate the young guys with playing real teams. Again how can we lose the game with Tanzania??? if we cannot make a good team when we want to play with other countries then lets play with local teams. Phiri be care working with FAZ they will wash their hands when things are bad!!!!!
Where can we get the confidence of supporting the Zambian team. We are just going to the Africa cup to escort the big teams if these FAZ guys dont call Zambia’s biggest & most happening players. What a shame.
vC Finland # 8 I do not agree with you that Sudan will beat zambia, never. Sudan qualified at the back of weaker teams except Tunisia. Success t club level is due to an influx of foreign players, Tana inclusive. Its like in England, clubs are performing well beacuse of foreign players but their national team is awful!
…zambia will pulla surprise!
VC Finiland#8 is probably right, Sudan is not a weak team as most people may want to believe. We need to round up most of the pros for the national team not what is happening presently. The spain game may not actually materialise.
#1,#3,#4,#5 and #10, are you sure of what you are writing about??. Please get your facts right before you speculate on such issues. You are free to visit our offices for proper imformation.
You Zambians are full of @%$^&%#. I have been reading this column since before the match and it seems that you just can’t stop insulting Tanzanians and their footbal. First you said you were going to beat Tanzania and that is not a match up to you. Now you have been beaten you say that you have learned nothing from Tanzania. A DEFEAT is a total lesson you have learned from Tanzania and please stop all the bullshits which is going on here because your fellow brothers respects and love you always.
Omari #16.We haven’t insulted your country at all.All what the guys have been saying is that we needed to play fellow teams that have going for Afcon 2008.The Zambian team that played against Tanzania was just what one can call a ‘C’ Team.Otherwise we count Tanzanians as our brothers.We did not get anything from the Tanzania game as Zambia because only 1 player of, the 11 that played against Tanzania will play in Ghana. All the best to the Taifa Stars i hope the still called by that name
Those comments were not directed to the Tanzanians but to our Football authorities who couldn’t bring all our key players for the Tanzania game.
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