Friday, March 29, 2024

Zambia Camp: Morocco or Southern Europe?

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Zambia could camp in southern Europe as part of their build-up to their 2010 Group C qualifier against Algeria to be played on September 5 in Algiers.

Sports permanent secretary Susan Sikaneta said today, Wednesday that her ministry’s national team fundraising committee had preferred Zambia camped in neighboring Morocco but would respect coach Herve Renards’ wishes.

“The coach said he wanted to camp the team in the southern France or southern Italy where the conditions are similar to Algeria,” Sikaneta said when her ministry received a US$ 10,000.00 cheque for Zambia’s camping from Standard Chartered Bank on Thursday.

She said Renard had said France would be more ideal for him since it was easier for him to access training facilities in his homeland.

Renard has preferred to hold private training camps abroad in particular South Africa to avoid what he termed as any distractions for his players and to get access to better facilities.

And they is also speculation that the team has an option of holding a training camp in Holland before facing Algeria while the German government has officially offered to camp the two for two weeks in August.

However, the government believes that Morocco would have made an ideal locale to hold a training camp as it is just next door to Algeria and in the same region.

Meanwhile Sports minister Kenneth Chipungu added that his ministry would not interfere with Renards choice of training camp for the game against Algeria.

“We don’t want to interfere with what the coach say but Morocco is closer and has similar weather,” Chipungu said.

Algeria beat Zambia 2-0 last Saturday to maintain top spot in group C and are on 7 and 4 points in 1st and 2nd positions respectively.

18 COMMENTS

  1. Morocco is closer and cheaper obviously than Europe, but please let the coach take the Chipolopolo boys to France so that he can use his connections. Stop wasting time and implement his suggestion now.

    __
    Prevention is better than cure.

  2. How exactly is the soccer team camping in Europe going to alleviate the current chaos in the country!

  3. Pa Morocco pali fye bwino.It’s closer en cheaper as Maestro has said.#2,its clear soccer is a high priority in Zed.Anyway,kaba chite efyo balefwaya.i hope they don’t regret spending $10,000 nga ba looser.

  4. Here is a suggestion, take that money invest it in building accomodation for health workers then invest some in confidence and non other ethnic worshipping in Zambian players and that’s a fine start. Football is self paying, our nation prioritises the strangest causes, so what really is wrong with Zambia some one answer me please.

  5. #5,it seems like everything is wrong with Zambia.in as much as i love my country,i just can’t stomach the number of problems we are facing.recently,its like these problems are trippling(X3) by the day.Chabu landa sana.

  6. Zed Chick, I have said it time and time again, something went really wrong at independence really wrong. Had we embraced democracy with people participation we would be miles ahead today. Kaunda Made people to be way too dependent on Humanism philosopies. Thus relatives want you to raise them and their children. If soccer players were picked on merit and intellectual properties more aspirants would work harder. Chiluba opened up the nation way too open naku church the doors are not that wide open, then he stole from people that were raised Gov. Dependent. Our fathers and grand parents generations were born and raised hard workers, even their hunger for knowledge was greater. A shock change of princple is what can change Zambia period. I have hope yet though.

  7. #5 Mwanawakwitu,”Football is self paying”, true indeed. Why should we give money as a government to the National team? Where are the gate takings, how about the private sponsors. FAZ needs a very savvy PR and financial personnel. Just because you are Kalusha does not guarantee a sport in FAZ, may be as a trustee. Sport is business much as it is entertainment.

  8. It really gets on my nerves to read some of these nonsensical comments.Zambia has not made a great stride in football circles for the past few years because we do not have what it takes to be a great footballing nation.I deem it necessary to ask this question:Do we have any proper football academy in zambia?Well,i personally would not recommend the national team to camp in morocco!

  9. The govt gives money to the national team becoz of the word “NATIONAL!!!!”
    Its not ‘FAZ team,’ no….its our national team!!!! With Zambia on it!!!! In as much as pipo may think its a ‘waste of money’ in all fairness,our team is the most financially pathetic teams in the world!!! Ati werdoes the money from gate takings go?? Are u serious!!!??? With the Kwacha as pathetic as it is u xpect Faz to even make a profit?? P.S-rememba we now use Konkola stadium,which is lyk a 12000 seater stadium-do the math & tell me if dats enuf to fund 6 outings…plus wages for players plus air tickects for players…gosh,in as much as it may sim ‘simple’ to the naked eye,it really isnt and thank gudness RB knows a thing or two abt football & has come to the teams aid…

  10. #10 Gesh. You don’t get the point. Where are our priorities as a Nation if we can let people die in hospitals due to lack of support for the health workers but we spend money on a soccer team. Lets be real the problem with our team Ubukula . You do the math how many nurses would be paid with the amount spent on soccer? Think please.

  11. How can the national team do well when the FAZ president spends more time analysisng other national teams and not his? Zambia should get rid of KALU and replace him with some brains . Passion alone is not enougn.

  12. That is god news for the Chipolopolo Boys. The coach should be given a free hand to choose where he thinks the team would camp. We dont want him to blame FAZ/GRZ that this and that was not put in place. Let the powers be make available all the logistics. All we need are results at the end of the day. Football has changed who thought Bafana Bafana would stand up to mighty Brazil and Obama Boys sorting out the favourite Spain. All we need is to change the mind set of our boys and easily get disoriented when it matters most. We need a Pycholigist to be attached to the team to ensure that their minds are set on winning. Technical bench should work on striking force. Each time we are in front of the goal nothing happens. I believe Collins is not yet finished, he needs to be worked on the mind.

  13. Kalu can continue his soccer analysis on Super Sport so that he does not interfer with the technical bench. Infact FAZ is not full time job so the guy is making some bucks for himself. In fact there no more players to transact on with foreign teams. Let Kalu alone. What do you expect of him to do the chap knows nothing in business apart from soccer. Bola is Kalu and Kalu is Bola chapwa. BM get my message. Kalu wanted that position so much even if he knew well that it is not full time employment at leat Munaile has grtity awaiting him. So we shall judge him soon or later. Soccer is a thankless job. Wait heads are going to turn. GRZ is not pumping money into Chipolopolo activities not for nothing . RESULTS are being awaited. Konkola stadium is a sham why not use stadia per ZIM or ANGOLA?

  14. With problems at home. Zam should start solving those problems instaed of going abroad for nothing .. how shapeful is it that Zam has to go camp in S.A. Why not develop their home staduims b4 they could inrich other countries by renting a stadium for training whenever an international match is due to be played. Remember Zam left for training b4 christmass in readiness for Afican cup of nations but they were eliminated in the first stage. Don’t worse money on prepation outside the country. Improve Zam home grounds to meet required standards as in S.A

  15. It’s so stupid for a an impoverished country like Zambia to continue wasting taxpayers money on useless and no-good national team players. This nonsense must come to a stop.

  16. The best Zam can do is to make use of FIFA schedules to engage into friendly matches with European countries instead of just camping. What will this help as they just play with clubs other than national team of any given country. RH want a near home camping area that will not bear fruits..

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