Friday, March 29, 2024

Grandstand: Stretched on Resources

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Zambia’s senior and junior national team set-ups are looking very stretched in the striking department as both sides both struggle to find a dependable and consistent finisher.

Both have recently found themselves having to share their attacking resources in the midst of a striker’s shortage currently prevailing across the entire league.

Kabwe Warriors striker Emmanuel Mayuka ‘s addition to the Under-20 teams 2009 Africa Youth Cup qualifying campaign that saw him score the first goal on Sunday in a 2-0 win over Mauritius is a clear point in question.

Mayuka including his fellow senior and junior attacking partner from Zanaco Roger Kola, who withdrew from the Under-20 trip to Mauritius due to a trial commitment in Europe, are this season’s most prolific young guns on 9 and 8 competitive goals respectively.
However, Zambia coach Herve Renard has aired his misgivings about having players, especially Mayuka and Kola, rotating between the senior and junior teams.

Sadly there seems nothing the Frenchman can do to stop the trend for the time being in a league lacking any excesses of decisive and electrifying flare in attack.

But if anyone thinks that is serious enough, the striking malaise is set to get worse on the homefront come November when Zambia faces Angola in November in a 2009 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) 3rd round final qualifying stage.

And thanks to this years Fifa summer international transfer window, Zambia faces the prospect of having two of its prized homebased prolific strikers lose their eligibility for the CHAN qualifiers.

Kola is set for a 6-month deal with Russian side Spartak Moscow while Mayuka could probably be on his way to Europe with a promising deal shimmering over the horizon at FC Porto in Portugal.

That will leave Renard threadbare on local strikers in the inaugural continental football tournament exclusively for home-based players.

And with that, Renard will be banking on a good Cosafa Cup outing from Power Dynamos striker Francis Kombe- now almost attaining peerless status in the local league.

Kombe has continued to be one of the local leagues most consistent forwards over the years and has this season recorded 8 league goals this season- a tally he averages every year since making his top-flight debut with Nchanga Rangers in 2002.

However, while Kombe has been electrifying at club level, he has failed to ignite at senior level despite a good run at junior level with both the Under-20 and Under-23 teams.
Kombe and the local strikers available on July 27 when Zambia face Zimbabwe in rural Mpumalanga at Secunda in the Cosafa Cup quarterfinals should give us a sneak-preview of the best or worst to come for Chipolopolo as we roll down to Christmas.

Scorecard

Rwanda 2009 Africa Youth Championship 1rnd, 2nd Leg Qualifier

13/07/2009

Stade George V (Curepipe)

Mauritius 0- Zambia 2( Emmanuel Mayuka, 3″, Daniel Kasungo 9″)*

*Zambia advance to 2nd round 3-0 on agg

Mauritius : Kevin Jean-Louis – Ricardo Ste-Marie, Luther Rose, Nathan Marie (Suib: Kenji Tang Fat Sang 46″) – Daniel Uppiah, David Lim Sik Fang, Jean-Yves Rosario, Menzy Coco, Adrien Davasagaen (Sub: Winny Calembé 46″) – Viraj Persootamah (Sub: Kenny Gooljarry,82″), Jonathan Ernest

Coach : Akbar Patel

Zambia : William Chibale – Michael Katongo, Moses Mulambi, Derrick Mwanza, Jimmy Chisenga – Morgan Kaoma (Sub: Mwape Kalunga 80″), Musonda Munaile, Daniel Kasungo (Sub: John Chingandu 76″), Nathan Sinkala, Henry Banda (Sub: Alex Mwiche 88″) – Emmanuel Mayuka

Coach : Oswald Mutapa

Cautions: : Ricardo Ste-Marie, 53″, Viraj Persootamah, 71″ (Both Mauritius), Derrick Mwanza, 63″ (Zambia)

Referee: Jean-Claude Labrosse (Seychelles).

13/07/2008

Rufaro Stadium, Harare

Zimbabwe 0- Egypt 1*

*Egypt advance to 2nd round qualifying stage 6-0 on agg

12/07/2008

Saint-Denis

Seychelles 1- South Africa 7 (Thulani Ngcepe (2), Thulani Serero (2), Sameegh Doutie (2), Mandla Masang)*

*South Africa advance to 2nd round qualifying stage 8-2 on agg

10 COMMENTS

  1. The striking problem is no secret in zambia. Our league has failed to produce a top class striker since Kelvin “malaza” Mutale and not since Dennis Lota has a top scorer shipped in more than 15 goals in a season. We need an urgent solution and the best is giving players the technical know how at grassroot level. Lets go Z!!!

  2. I Herve faith. I am an optimist, in one sense the major strikers are going abroad, in the other there are now opportunities. Wait, i think those are both positive things. We do need deadly strikers though, guys that will put the ball in the back of the net and not think anything of it.

  3. Players don’t just pop up from nowhere. There has to be some kind of viable farm system through which budding talent must pass and get nurtured while mastering fundamental ball and game skills and instincts. A well run competetive farm league such as we had Zambia Schools in the 60’s thru the 80’s will ensure that there’s no dearth of available talent at any position.Look back and see how much surplass we had in players who deserved but never made the national team, much less the Zambia Schools select! Another good investment in the schools program with good policy and material support from the relevant agencies of govt is the only longterm solution. Untapped talent lies limitless….

  4. Players going abroad to enhance their careers and financial gain should not be an excuse for the recent dropoff in positive play. If anything it presents more opportunites for development of fresh talent while the veterans horn their skills with international competittion.So that situation does not make the cup half empty but rather half full.FAZ and schools cannot do it without full govt support!

  5. #3, i couldn’t agree with you more..Pity you don’t have a name.
    Zambian strikers are failing to tick at home but have been the leading scorers in nearby S.A. for the past three seasons. I wonder why?do they have better coaches in S.A.?Is it a better league? Is it a question of incentives?

  6. People, Sharing players is not a problem If there is a need, play them .I actually think that a player can be part of under 20 under 23 and even senior national team ALL AT THE SAME TIME. The criterion for selection is age. Look at S Kalou(Chelsea) he plays for the national team and under 23. Zambia should get this in their heads. Though the under 17,20,23 sides are viewed as feeders for the senior team, Coaches should make it a point that, THE BEST TEAM IS SELECTED. This means inclusion of ALL eligible players. (age and quality are what counts). Winning a world youth cup, olympic gold …etc is the main goal. WINNING NEEDS THE BEST!

  7. Remember Gerd Mueller of west Germany? Little skill and that was it! Yet he was always where the ball was and scored so many scrappy goals he was always feared by his opponents. Instinct is something you cannot teach but develop with good coaching and stability with teammates! Hello, wake up zambia, Ucar or Bernard chanda will never be back!

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