Green Buffaloes coach George Lwandamina says his strikers should take most of the blame for the teams 2nd round exit from the Caf Confederations Cup to Highlanders on Sunday.
Buffaloes lost 1-0 in Bulawayo to Highlanders of Zimbabwe to bow out of the Confederations Cup 2-1 on aggregate in the first round of this year competition.
Lwandamina refused to heap the loss squarely on referee Paul Phomane of Lesotho for the loss.
“Am equally blaming the strikers for failing to score when we had a lot of chances,” Lwandamina said in Lusaka upon arrival Monday morning from Bulawayo.
“It is a sheer waste of time to write to Caf over poor officiating.”
Buffaloes exit ended all interest for Zambian clubs in continental club competition this season.
Zesco were knocked out of the Caf Africa Champions League by the 2007 tournaments semifinalist Al Hilal of Sudan.
Wedson Nyirenda’s men recorded a respectable 1-1 result at home on Saturday against Al Hilal in Ndola but that was not enough to overall the 2-0 deficit and bowed out 3-1 on aggregate.
Nyirenda summarized his team’s performance to the point- not good enough or experienced to make a mark in Africa.
Having watching both teams in action this year in Caf competition, they both lacked any urgency, character and ambition to reach higher heights.
Buffaloes for one, have no larger-than-life character like their live-wire ex-captain Christopher Katongo who left in 2005 leaving Lwandamina with a pedestrian team.
Katongo scored four goals to the quarterfinals of the 2003 Confederations Cup before recording another five to lead them to the same stage of the 2004 event.
Zesco on the other hand have paid the price for poor signings and suffered also from a clear case of over reliance on inspirational midfielder Rainford Kalaba.
Loan-signings Lottie Phiri and Sign Chibambo have flopped while striker Enoch Sakala is blowing hot and cold despite scoring the face-saving equalizer against Al Hilal over the weekend as he struggles to match his much-hyped form from last season.
The next one month will be very crucial for Zesco.
Zesco’s task now is to avoid suffering from the traditional post-Caf club cup early ejection hangover that sends most Zambian teams plummeting down the log in spectacular fashion to near relegation.
In 2005, Zesco bowed out at the same stage this time in the Confederations Cup when they barely survived relegation to finish a place above the relegations zone in 12th place.
Zesco have played just one league game that ended in an uninspiring 1-1 home draw against Roan United in week 1 on March 15.
Their post-Caf test begins this weekend when they host promoted Green Eagles in Ndola in a Faz Premier League week 5 fixture.
CAF AFRICA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 1ST ROUND, 2ND LEG
06/04/08
Trade Fair, Ndola
Zesco 1(Enoch Sakala 58″) -Al Hilal 1(Ahmed Adil 43″)*
*Al Hilal win 3-1 on agg
CAF CONFEDERATIONS CUP
07/04/08
Barbourfields, Bulawayo
Highlanders (Zim) 1(Cuthbert Malajila 45″)*- Green Buffaloes 0
*Highlanders win 2-1 on agg
FAZ PREMIER LEAGUE WEEK 4
05/03/3008
Lusaka Dynamos 0- Nkwazi 1 (Obby Mumba 53″)
Young Arrows 0-Konkola Blades 0
City 0- Zanaco 1 (Kennedy Nkethani 26″)
06/03/2008
Chambishi 1(Bobby Chola 10″)-Green Eagles 1(Obote Sikakumba 36″)
Roan 1(Lyson Sikaonga 35″)-Nkana 0
Nchanga 0- Red Arrows 0
Kabwe Warriors- Zesco United (PP)
Power Dynamos-Green Buffaloes (PP)
After games Played 07/04/2008
LEAGUE & CUP:
Reuben Tembo (Green Buffaloes):3
Emmanuel Mayuka (Kabwe Warriors): 3
Morgan Hanjeema (Green Buffalkoes): 3
Mathew Macha (Nchanga Rangers): 2
Sebastian Mwansa (Green Buffaloes): 2
William Njobvu (Lusaka Dynamos): 2
Wilson Mutupa (Green Buffaloes): 2
Nicholas Zulu (Zesco United): 2
FAZ DIVISION 1 WEEK 5
06/04/2008
NORTH
Afrisports 3- INDENI 0
Chindwin 2- Lime Hotspurs 1
Forest Rangers 1- Mufulira Blackpool 0
Tazara Express 1- Muchindu 1
Kitwe United 1- Kalewa 2
Medical 0- Mining Rangers 2
Mufulira Wanderers 1- Zamtel 1
Muchindu 1- Tazara Express 1
SOUTH
06/04/2008
Mazabuka United 3- Zamcoal Diggers 0
Lusaka Celtic 0- Young Green Eagles 2
Builders 1- Petauke United 0
Chilanga Heroes 0- Profund Warriors 0
Lusaka City Council 3- Nakambala :Leopards 2
National Assembly 3- Kalomo Jetters 1
05/04/2008
Livingstone Pirates 1- Riflemen 2
Kambuku 2- Nampundwe 0
Ba George boss, dont blame the strikers. You are equally to blame for the loss. Why didnt you utlise the home ground advantage just like most teams? Its a pity that it seems it is a Zambian thing where our teams fail to win at home especially in crucial matches like that. Look at Zesco, its the same story. You will continue whinging and whining without success for ages to come. Just put your act together, oh Zambian teams. Twatendwa!!!!!!!
Ba George boss, dont blame the strikers. You are equally to blame for the loss. Why didnt you utlise the home ground advantage just like most teams? Its a pity that it seems it is a Zambian thing where our teams fail to win at home especially in crucial matches like that. Look at Zesco, its the same story. You will continue whinging and whining without success for ages to come. Just put your act together, oh Zambian teams. Twatendwa!!!!!!!
Go Nkana, Go Nchanga and Go Power Dynamos. Zambian football belong to the Copperbelt. No offense to anyone, but my own opinion.
BILLY SA #3 you are so selfish, thats why zambian football is really going down coz pipo including kalu think only bembas can play.
i agree with billy.zed football is down becoz the owners of the league thats cb teams are down.brave rangers, power 90,nkana, mighty mufurila, even if they never won afcon league, they atleast used to beat the arabs and other teams when they are playing at home. zanaco , zesco ,bufalos,have nothing to show zambians that they emerged supreme in faz league.
i dont know why most pipo think copperbelt is the province for bemba’s only,#4 just because the language is spoken on the C/belt does not mean all the pipo there are bemba.for your own information the proportion of 7 major tribes in this region is almost equal,
And what has Kalu had to do with this tribal thing you are bringing here…shame on you!!!
I agree with you #6 some how but i say so coz even you guys from other provinces you pretent to be bembas coz you think it’s the official language, jst to give u an example i have a lozi girlfriend who never speek her language in LSK but uses bemba. Ealier the national team was full of bembas this brougt division btwn teddy and kalu during their term of office, thats why we want change for zambian football to improve.
This tribal debate about the CB is nonsense. Copperbelt is cosmopolitan (Multi-Ethnic)
No need to be offended. The fact is that CB has been the heart of Zambian football.
It will also be encouraging to see other provinces improving on their soccer prowess.
bicklon #7, you are out tune bro. We are talking about football here, and not tribes. #5 The GM and #6 LBC are right.
Zambian soccer is now yali pwa
We should just accept the fact rather than dreaming. This was shown by the thumping of zed by cameroon 1-5 takwaba
LT please you should also be updating us on the league standings for both super league and Divion one. It hurts me to realise that no Zambian club has reached the CAF champions League group stage since its inception. We have never won the AFCON cup despite being perennial participants. We have never qualified to the world cup. Yet we classify our selves as soccer giants. Pliz great Kalu, do something for the sake of our pride.
#12, Iam equally depressed. This country sucks.
Zanaco, Buffaloes??My foot.What do you expect from teams that speak Nyanja on the field of play?Nothing
What about Zesco who speak Bemba on the field. Bottom line language has nothing to do with performance.
Only Nkana and power can bring glory to Zambia. Abash Zanaco, Buffalo and Zesco, all lusaka based teams.
Bring back our Kalamppa, Mighty and power..Even Nchanga used to do better on continental club tournaments.
I think #15 has got a point.
Strikers have a responsibility to score if they get chances. No time for pretty back heals. Everyone has responsibility in the team. At least Zambian soccer is competitive with a different team able to scoop the league from one season to the next, but we are seeing that no team is able to keep a strong enough team for long enough to compete on the content.
Continent [correction]
Anyway, we’ll see how these Highlander guys fair against the other Sudanese team. No doubt the north africans will be there at the end of both competitions. Their attention to detail is what keeps them consistent.
On a positive note, it’s nice to see that Kalaba has finally gone to Braga.
# Who has told u kalaba has left
#23 ubufi
zambianfootball DOT blogspot DOT com/
Where is Green Eagles playing it’s home games ,kabwe or choma?
Viva Bravo Nchanga Rangers