Herve Renard has saluted Collins Mbesuma after inspiring Zambia to victory in the Nelson Mandela challenge.
Mbesuma scored the games’ lone goal in the 63rd minute just 13 minutes after replacing his ex-Under-23 striking partner Jacob Mulenga in a second half he played about his best football for Zambia in seven years.
“I am very happy for him he has done very well for Pirates and now he has scored for us,” Renard told SuperSport in the post-match interview at Soccer City.
Mbesuma,  who has scored four goals so far for his new club Orlando Pirates this season,volleyed in his stronger left foot from outside the box giving goalkeeper Ithumleng Khune no chance.
The Pirates striker benefitted from fellow substitute Mukuka Mulenga of Power Dynamos who laid the ball into the forgotten strikers path to score what would be the winner in a second half Zambia dominated to win their first Mandela Challenge since losing 2-1 to Bafana-Bafana in the inaugural event in 1994.
Mbesuma was denied the chance for a second four minute before fulltime when he was brought down by Bafana captain Bongani Khumalo.
However, Bafana gave Zambia a late scare when Kermit Erasmus’ attempt from close range was cleared by Kennedy Mweene.
The win was also Zambia’s second friendly win post-2012-Gabon after a draw and loss away to Angola and Malawi respectively including a controversial 2-1 home win over Zimbabwe in August that they secured via a late penalty awarded by local referee Jan Sikazwe.
What a GOAL from Mbesuma! We need him fit and more play time. Jacob did not have support from the midfield, we missed Kalaba in that area, otherwise he did well. Congrats CHIPOLOPOLO.You did us proud. Coach, please talk to Chamanga, in this time and age, you don’t miss such chances at goal.
Why miss Kalaba we have Mukuka Mulenga the new wonder boy Â
I have always believed in Mbesuma-there u are Renard, we told you that the boy still has skill.
Its all the way Chipolopolo and well done guys. Ever since PF and Sata came into Gov’t, its always win in big tournament and South Africa, here we come to consolidate our Supremacy and return the Cup to Zambia. Viva Chipolopolo and Viva Sata. South Africa next year will be dominated by Zambians.
This has nothing to do with politics. Lets learn to think progressively and know that life is not all about politics.
You need to appreciate and tresure what unites us as a nation.
Hard luck
Ur primitive, u thnk everythng is politics??? Wat has Mbesuma’s performance got to with PF?? Shame on u, congrats Chipolopolo and Mbesuma in particular
WelI-done, guys!Ba Mbesuma mwabombeni. That surely, was a penalty.
Arrgh,they won? I was hoping they lose so zambia can turn to obsessing about real stuff like engineering and building globally competitive brands.We waste too much time on that overglorified leather and 11 boys instead of working on our appaling poverty and economic strangle.Foreign corporations have us by the neck threatening to snuff out our lives yet we’re obsessed by aimless leather? Amafi game it is.
Foolish and unpatriotic barotse fool. Behave and watch out yo careless talk. Kumanyoko!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Waba Itole
. Congratulations, chipolopolo.I still believe that Mbesuma can score goals.He has that killer instict.Has Renard thought about assessing Fwayo?
Watched this game LIVE and Mbesuma’s goal was cracker…the opposition though was weak and like i said before this was a pointless friendly just for earning bragging points!!
FAZ time to line up games with top ranking teams from Europe and Americas enough of these small teams. Â
true that!!!
Bafana Bafana just came from Europe where you want the team to go. Zambia is better off playing African opponents as they will learn to endure bad tackles and poor refereeing which will be exhibited at the world cup. What you lear in europe is how Bafana Bafana was playing – to the gallery!
Pointless friendly No! Before Afcon 2013, Zambia needs as many friendlies as it can get especially against African oposition.
South African fans are sad losers they stoned the Zambian team bus and injured Mweene in the process….CAF should fine SAFA that’s if our FAZ complain!!
A nice strike by Mbesuma
Where were you ba LT, your friends where reporting on exciting football, you busy shouting Sata Sata PF PF PF.. damnt when are we ever going to spend a day enjoying something?
Ba LT why cant you post my comment to Mzambia wa zamani?
Renard should now consider to recall Clifford Mulenga
Mzambia wa zamani, the gov is waiting for you to bring thoz idea yet you stack hear bloging. why divert our spotlight iwe mambala? chipolopolo well done gudes
And Fwayo…we need him to take Chamanga’s spot!
@5 mzambia the game of soccer is their for us the down troden 2 put a smile on our cracked faces.let me remind you that zambia will never develop without tenchnology.And the poor will owaz b their even if zambia bcmz the richest country.Coming 2 yesterdays game,it was a well deserved victory.But i still think chipolopolo nids an enterprising midfilder.A Master passer like the late Alex’master dribbler’ chola or late Benjamin ‘Tingana’ bwalya.I owas have a prblm with kalaba’s type of play.He is a on-off player who does not posses a creative mentality like that of the afore mentioned fallen heroes.
the beauty about zambia is, it has so many players in every department unlike ENGLAND despite claiming to ve the best league in the world, cry about one player injured as if it a nation of 1million people. Funny how the commetators sing and cry ‘ no rio fedinard, no wayne rooney.’players that tick even if they were in the team. Emphasising the point again and again as if years later anyone ll recall england never won the world/euro cup coz of low quality player absence. England loses the tornament before it kicks off. Wonder why people say its the best league yet its national team is a perenual under achiever.
Zambia is a skillfull and punch packed team. Time zambians stopped idolising EPL. [-(
The team does need an infusion of young blood to improve their game. Katongo, Mulenga and other old timers have done Zambia good service, but should give way to new and young talent with a burning desire to “die a little” for the motherland. That way we would not be scrapping a win over Bafana Bafana.
Chamanga must retire-He shuold give chance to young ones,well done Chipolopolo
Renard please count the ratio Chamanga has missed clear goals against what he has scored. In the past five games he has played he has missed 7 clear chances and scored 1. Clearly this is not a striker. Apart from Sunzu, Mweene and HH, all the Afcon winning players did not play well. They were kicking everywhere and losing possession. It was Mukuka Mulenga and Mbesuma who changed the game.
SPOT ON MUDALA…..
Chipolopolo bus was stoned by stupid locals as they were leaving the stadium. Some players have been injured
Good  football  from  ZambiaÂ
I have decided to strip off the hosting of the africa cup by south africa for their stupid fans that stoned our bus. How could they do that and whats the assuarance that the players and fans next year will be safe? Thats why South African police use live bullets now i see.
@Disappointed, true dat, South Africa should not host the 2013 AFCON, the place is a mess and hell
Very disappointing from the 2013 AFCON hosts. These guys are supposed to be our brothers and sisters and this is how they behave towards us, over an international friendly match? South Africans, please change your mindset towards Zambia. We aren’t champions for nothing. Your time to shine again will come, only if you work hard enough.
Oh yaaaah…. what a relief that we have won against ‘utubafana’ of South Africa. As we fans have been saying, there is no team which can stop Chipolopolo if coach Renards reads each game positively. Timely and unbiased substitutions are key to success at Afcon 2013.
I was a critic of Mbesuma and was critical of his recall but I must confess he has won me over. It was not just the goal, which of course was a cracker, but his awareness at goal, his skill and accurancy, we need him at AFCON! Jacob played well and he is also required, but midfield failed him, Chamanga may not have a place in the 23 man squad anymore! We need Chris Katongo for now to provide strategic leadership and motivation, but not an automatic starting team. Even Kalaba recovered, we need Clifford to ensure our midfield is fluid and functional, it didnt last night, otherwise South Africa deserved to lose by more than two goals, they were awful!!! Kalusha must complain to CAF and FIFA about the attack, nangu niku ma in laws bakwe!!!!
Its was a good result but the play needs to be co-ordinated for results in the afcon,Well done Mbesuma the bench has worked, when you come into a match to prove a point it somtimes work.Zambia focus more on the game.
BA FIKALA NOW THEY KNOW WHO WE ARE . IDOTS
COACH we now need the services of clifford mulenga and fwayo let the mampi thing pass alaa!
Imwe ba copper bullet No.20, Who are you telling about the incident? Everybody is aware about it its not news, if you have nothing to comment please never lay you fingers on the Keyboard, just read other peoples comments, if you dont know how to read you can ask someone to read and translate in bemba to you.
Mbesuma is too old don’t even count on him to bring glory to your team next AFCO 2013 he will be 40YRS BY JANUARY 2013
#19 i agree with you, this Chamanga is missing clear goes and i don’t know why. Check the miss against Uganda at Ndola stadium. He has chances but misses almost everything, he needs to be warned. Chisamba Lungu also is not a serious palyer. He can cost us games with his unsuccessful dribling tactics, he should be warned as well. renard tel him to be disciplined like Sinkala always above average without serious mistakes in the midfield.
Well done guyz but surely they are dept we must improve on especially in the midfield when master is not there.Chamanga shud be retired with immediate effect and replace him with Roger kola.Go Zambia Go wapya baisa 2013 AFCON.God bless Zambia owayz.
#7 Pointless friendly No! Before Afcon 2013, Zambia needs as many friendlies as it can get especially against African oposition. Zambia should not play European teams. That is like practicing on a flute when your exam will be on a Xylophone. Do you know what happened to Tunisia when they hosted the Nations cup? They camped in Europe and played only European teams before coming home. They were knocked out in the first round or league stage
Mbesuma showed experience n commitment. Chamanga a letdown he missed sure goals at Ndola against Uganda n again SA! Mayuka was not impressive too. As strikers the mandate is to score it doesn’t matter if it means breaking yo foot.
U GUYS RESPECT CHAMANGA,THIS IS DA SAME GUY WHO HAS HELPED US IN DA PAST.WAT RE U SAYING BA FIKALA.
well done chipolopolo boys to beaty bafanabafna