Tuesday, May 13, 2025

No-Rhythm Zambia Fail To Spark

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It was untidy though not unexpected. Zambia stuttered to a 0-0 draw against Senegal in their penultimate CHAN Group Group A game played in Abidjan this evening.

Senegal were superior throughout the first half and most of the second period winning all the aerial duels and also muscled Zambia off the ball with such ease.

Hosts Cote d’Ivoire, whom Zambia beat 3-0 on Sunday at the same venue in the tournaments opening game, will be kicking themselves after watching in envy how Senegal frustrated Herve Renard’s side.

Vito Badine and Mustapha Diallo both unsettled Zambia’s defence with good chances in the 10th and 18th minutes.

At the opposite end, defender Francis Kasonde headed down ball narrowly that bounced over the bar in Zambia’s first of only two chances of the first half.

Given Singuluma failed to spark and in a rare show of intent short wide from outside the box in the 42nd minute after a singular counter by Zambia.

Zambia survived conceding a goal two minutes after the hour mark when substitute Oumar Sow saw his powerful shot saved by Davy Kaumbwa.

However, there was later some marked improvement by Zambia in the final 20 minutes of the match but Senegal, who were later reduced to 10-men with 10 minutes remaining on the clock, choked Renard’s boys to submission.

Zambia must now beat Tanzania on Saturday in both sides final game in Bouake to keep their CHAN dreams of reach the March 4 semifinals.
Meanwhile, Tanzania eliminated hosts Cote d’Ivoire 1-0 in the second Group A match tonight in Abidjan to stay 3rd on 3 points, one less than Zambia and Senegal in first and second places respectively on 4 points.

93 COMMENTS

    • U r quick to blame the coach, Zambian food died with the GREAT TEAM which died in the Gabon air crash, there was determination and maturity in those players, since that accident, Zambian football has never recovered. Dont always blame the coach, they can only do so much..the rest is upto the player. Its the same with school, the teacher can only guide u, the rest is upto you.

  1. Mmmmm ba Zambia, don’t you think it’s too early to fire the coach? The man is building a young vibrant team. Give him chance

    • I agree with you Anony, firing and hiring does not only destroy the foundation of a team but is also expensive for the Government. Let this coach spend time with the team and probably come up with the best one which will be competitive in major tournaments.

  2. Jolly job well done Zambian boys. This result is good enough for you small stature sized characters against the big senegalise opponents.
    On “However, there was later some marked improvement by Zambia in the final 20 minutes of the match but Senegal, who were later reduced to 10-men with 10 minutes remaining on the clock, choked Renard’s boys to submission”, I am not surprised as the Zambia National Soccer Team has from time in memorial been putting up a good fight in the dying minutes of the second half. Continue focussing on no less than wins and you will be able to take the cup home to Zambia. All the best Chipolopolo boys and keep well. Never etertain a Poor Finishing (PF) stance…

  3. Tanzania has beaten ivory oast 1-0.so there in with a chance and they will be psyched when they play us.let’s hope chipolopolo will be up 4 it

  4. AS I LAST COMMENTED. EXPECTED A GOOD DRAW AND A WIN IS A MIRACLE MEANWHILE A LOSS IS THE HOB FOR ZED.
    SUPPORT THEM, BUT DO NOT BELIEVE IN THEM AND YOUR HEART WILL NOT BREAK AT ALL

    • Very true my brother. If one is a keen follower of Zambian football, should be able to notice this improvement. Keep it up boys. After all this team is full of the young ones. Tukakula utu nikankhala na team to be proud of. God help them.

  5. Coach Renard,iam sure by now u know the teams strengths and weaknesses,improve on that 4 a better Zed and put smiles on fans faces,otherwise satisfactory 4now though still a lot 2b done……..all the best in nxt game ,some of us are already eyeing the semis.

  6. The Game voted the most un inspiring and most boring clash. Zambia di d not offer anything and where a pale shadow of themselves. It puts in question the 3 – 0 win. ba LT it’s not that Senegal frustrated us, the beat us to the punch.

    • that reminds me of CAN 96! what happened to the guys to fall 4-2 to tunisea in the semis. a team they had beaten 3-0 a month befor in a friendly? Still puzzled.

  7. I watched the game, both teams played with no purpose, at some point i thought that this game was fixed, this is not the zambia i watched on sunday. However all we need now is a draw with Tanzania that beat IC via a 1-0 scoreline.

  8. Zambian team is worryin coz Tazanian played very well and confidently that puts us in a fix coz tazania is coming with full force on zambia we might fail to go to semi if senegal wins Ivory coast and we lose to tazania which looks better than us.. but thanx to Tana he really brot a gud defence otherwise they were going to score they were determined.

  9. Zambian team is worrying coz Tazanian played very well and confidently that puts us in a fix coz tazania is coming with full force on zambia we might fail to go to semi if senegal wins Ivory coast and we lose to tazania which looks better than us.. but thanx to Tana he really brot a gud defence otherwise they were going to score they were determined.

  10. You see, whenever i say that these these boys are such a big disppointment some of you are so quick to condemn and call me names! so what do you have say now? Lets accept that abaiche aba makula! Zambia is finished period!!!!!

    • Ba baby c,wat kulas have u seen being displayed by the boys.The game was just tight,we have managed a drew so wats so dissappointing about that,I wud have condemed them if they lost four zero.

    • ba baby C. easy. the guys havent lost! they actually beat the favourites 3-0! its because of this captivity in negativity that we dont even develop as a nation. when we win, you celebrate privately but when we loose, you are first to condemn publicly. I dont see any reason to be blowing up our tops when we are actually doing well and improving. dont look at a glass of milk as half empty… look at it as half fullll!!!!

    • Hmmmmm! i like your spirit! Am one person who is never moved by Zambia’s win because that is short lived. Zambia wont even go past the quater finals! football is about goals, i dont care whether they were held to a goaless draw or not!Like it or not darlings, abaiche aba makula and will remain a so until further notice! the boys who will redeem Zambia are not yet born.

  11. The game was very boring, but i think firing the coach is not the solution let him stay to continue working on the team.
    All he needs to do is let him work on mid field and up front strikers who struggled to hold the ball. Besides, we should expect for some changes in players.Lets pray they don`t dissapoint us this time around

  12. How can you have national team players failing to take a decent throw in? Did you notice how many times Zambian players were penalized four foul throw ins. The players cant control the ball either. Ladies and gents, these are football basics that one is supposed to learn at academies and not at national team level.

  13. Lets support these guys they are even trying nowadays. They had completely shifted from Chipolopolo to Chipantepante. At least Renard has tried to put up a team consisting of local players and can win by the 3 – 0 margin. I think we should give them a chance.
    Go guys go!

    • My sister just there we have not yet lost a match. Beating the hosts is not an easy thing. Not 4getting that this team consists of OUR LOCAL players. Young ones for that matter. I feel these guys need to be encouraged coz they will make a good team as long as there’s consistency in team selection. Corruption had penetrated into the selection of players which killed the morale of players. Pliz give Renard a chance.

  14. We hope for the best as Zambia national soccer team takes on Tanzania. Perseverance, determination and well co-ordinated team efforts will help our team amass the three points for a clear qualification. All the best Chipolopolo boys!!

  15. REAL GAME BY REAL ZAMBIA IN THEIR REAL PERFORMANCE. WE CANNOT WIN ANY TOURNAMENT WITH SUCH A TEAM OF LOW CALIBRE. THE COACH HAS USED ALL HE CAN THE BOYS HAVE DONE ALL THEY CAN, BUT ONE CANNOT GIVE WHAT THEY DO NOT HAVE.

  16. ZAMBIA WINS WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT THEM TO WIN. ZAMBIA WILL NOT BEAT TANZANIA. THE BEST WILL BE A DRAW, THEN WE CAN QUALIFY AS SECOND BEST, WINNING IS OUT AND IMPOSSIBLE

    • Papa thats what puzzles me most, how many times are going to rely on calculations? Second best everytime, why cant we qualify without any mathematical chances? And somebody is busy saying a draw is just ok?…pleeeeeeeeease!! amakula !!!!!!

    • You pipo suprise me alot. You say this but come saturday you will even postpone if not cancell all your engagements just to see Zambia in action. Stop the hypocricy

  17. SENEGAL WILL TOP THE GROUP, THEN ZAMBIA SECOND BEST IF WE FORCE A DRAW WITH TAIFA STARS, FAILURE TO WHICH WE PARK OUR SOWETO-BAGS BACK TO CHIBOLYA. ,,,,,HOPEFULLY SENEGAL LOSES TO IVORY COAST, THEN WE ALSO LOSE, STILL MORE WE MAY QUALIFY………..ITS NOW MATHEMATICAL FOR ZAMBIA

  18. Guyz can you all stop critisizing the boys,I guess they put in all they cud to impress,we are toooo expectant of them having beaten the favourites 3 -0,worst results we wud have expected wud have been a loss but we drew which is not bad,Senagal knew what they were up against and they had to up there game,having physical superiority our boys cud not much but they managed to defend which is a plus.All we need to do is drew with Tanzania and we are through.Bola is ninty minutes,am optimistic the guyz will play a better game in the remaining fixtures

  19. Firing the coarsh at the moment is not an option he has not yet failed. Did we rilly expect to win anyway. From the look of things i think the boys are doing well and they need support. The English teams u people that u are so very excited about do not even add any value to your life plz lets be real no wonder we are not developed as a country too much wanting to be wat we are not..

  20. No matter what we may want us fans the reality is in soccer u either win, draw or loss. Even when we know that we are improving as a team we still want to behave like we knew that we could even win or draw with such team. The current team is orite give them your support and stop or keep quiet and concentrate on your english soccer u holligans.

  21. U guys were praising the coach now you want him to be fired? It does not work like that. The team has not lost a game and have not conceded a goal. They only need a draw to qualify.

  22. I am suprised that the East Africans are now a threat to Chipos. I mean, these guys never even exhisted in the soccer world just a few year ago. God help us.

  23. Atleast they managed to hold em to a draw dispite been under preasure.Looking forwrd to what comes up with the Tanzania game,otherwise at the moment ni all the best chabe

  24. The Zambian team should be put on a proper diet to make them grow stronger – especially stamina for them to be on top of things the whole ninety minutes. Otherwise they will be no match for the vima West Africans who eat too much.

  25. at least we didnt loose! it could have been worse! comeon guys, we beat ivory coast and held senegal! lets count our blessings! we could be in a far worse situ right now.

  26. The boys have done well so far.Football is not an easy game.Lets not be too negative.We just need to build on the positives to improve our overall performance.Well done boys

  27. Bakamba,
    We need to improve not shadow chasing type of football.Maybe we need Dora Siliya on da bench.Neverthless the guys are on the right truck.Go chipolopolo,vindambala allover.

  28. Very good so far boys,that give us 4 points and are leading the table.I believe we can pull a quick one on Tanzania.The strong goal difference gives us an advantage over Ivory coast and Tanzania looking at all the odds.lets just put more belief in our boys so they make us proud.
    Chipolopolo iyi,Chipolopolo iyi!!!!!!!!!!!

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