Rainford Kabala says Zambia will quickly pick themselves up from their bruising exit from the 2013 Africa Cup.

Kalaba said in Nelspruit after the game that lessons were leant but that the sooner Zambia recovered from the shock exit the better with the 2014 FIFA World cup qualifiers looming over the horizon.

“We just have to go back and refresh and get back to earth,” Kalaba said.

Zambia finished third on three points after a scoreless draw against Burkina Faso on Tuesday at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.

They finished on two points behind Group C winners Burkina Faso and Nigeria who also ended on five points.

“That’s football we are not the first team to be eliminated. So just have to forget and move forward,” Kalaba said.

“We have discussed as a team there is nothing that has changed in the team spirit, the spirit remains the same.

“The coach said it is part of football and look forward because even if you look back nothing ill chance there is a World Cup qualifier in March so if we disturb ourselves we will not go anywhere.”

Zambia’s next major engagement will be Lesotho whom they face in their third Group D match on March 22 in Maseru.

Meanwhile, the home-based team has a chance of returning to South Africa in 2014 when they kickoff their 2014 CAF African Nations Championship qualifiers in June with a two-legged date against Botswana.

Zambia will be away in the first leg on June 22 and host The Zebras in the return leg on July 6.

24 COMMENTS

Musa Kasonka Jr January 30, 2013 At 10:19 pm

First of all , I commend Zambia for having qualified. The decision to hold a championship 9 months after the CAN 2012 was mind boggling. The Champions did not have enough time to recover from the victory hangover. Hence the performance
Tubulu January 30, 2013 At 11:58 pm

Well said Kalaba. We need more quality friendlies. Also, let’s look for a goal poacher or develop one from home grown strikers.
Jay Jay January 31, 2013 At 12:20 am

No fighting spirit from this team and this is where HR and the visionless FAZ empty suits have LAMENTABLY FAILED as they let complacency crept in…

“We just have to go back and refresh and get back to earth,” Kalaba said.

I think Kalaba you need to practice more in taking dead balls as you were awful none of your crosses reached their targets…focus on your career. The free-kick specialists like Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo put in extra time in training taking these dead balls…get serious as you could have done better.
Wake up mwaiche!!
- Ulemona January 31, 2013 At 8:54 am
  
  Absolutely right – no fighting spirit nor grit. They didn’t really look like they wanted a win that badly. Something not right! They won in Gabon – went on a victory lap which ended, hopefully, in nelspruit! Now wake up lads, you’re no longer the champs!
- Pablo Escobar January 31, 2013 At 9:02 am
  
  Well said. Also practice more on taking corners….nearly all your corners were straight at the goalkeepers
- treuth January 31, 2013 At 12:00 pm
  
  100% correct. There was no fighting spirit at all. Strickers just strolling after they lose the ball and standing behind defenders and expecting a pass. It was embaresing. However, Kalaba is right that we must put the past behind and start afresh. By the way, I think as well that the coach erroed in not putting in Katongo. He may have gotten a bit slow, but his fighting spirit and work rate was clearly missed in that last game.
Nshi Sunda Chisunde Sunde Kano Fye Mu Muntu January 31, 2013 At 12:56 am

simply put….
our football is just an expensive mess
Nostradamus January 31, 2013 At 2:10 am

What can one say against Kalaba’s comments?
Cat Power January 31, 2013 At 2:27 am

What a waste of time and money. Damn
- Ewa January 31, 2013 At 10:29 am
  
  Learn to appreciate iwe. Some countries have never even qualified to this tournament. Zambia has participated almost all the time. And we got it “the cup” last year. How many countries have successfully defended the cup, 1 or two ??? Lets support the team. Ni ntawi !!
- Mwila chigaga January 31, 2013 At 6:51 pm
  
  I think kalaba is being presumptuous.From his performance at the AC i am not sure he should be part of the new Chipolopolo! We need fighters!
Nostradamus January 31, 2013 At 2:49 am

Zamfoot fans 4- 0 LT fans
Referee : Bolazambia
- Sir Timothy Scott January 31, 2013 At 3:28 am
  
  Are you a lecturer? Me don’t think so
Movement for Multi-Doctors January 31, 2013 At 3:01 am

Open the selection to other players like Roger Kola and Fwayo Tembo. The writing was on the wall: Saudi Arabia 2:1 Zambia,Angola 2:0 Zambia, Morocco 0:0 Zambia, Norway 0:0 Zambia. Therefore expect draws but we were confident that we will score! Don’t ignore statistics
Enka Rasha. January 31, 2013 At 3:19 am

The bruising exit was cast in stone…..if you connect all the dots ..all along.You won on penalties,qualified on penalties and had a string of sub-par performances leading into AFCON…. and when the time came you never won a single match.Why are we still surprised at the ugly exit?
mystic January 31, 2013 At 5:03 am

That ‘s the spirit ,lets be united in our lows and rise 2gether …one thing though ,lets broaden our team selection,there are players that should be given a chance to prove themselves especially Fwayo and C Mulenga otherwise i got no beef with the coach if he could only adress the situation.
King David January 31, 2013 At 5:04 am

Well said ba Kalaba
chipotu January 31, 2013 At 8:04 am

Stup1d zambians!

Remember those words from KK in his days, I am tempted to use them, all of a sudden, you are world beaters, after years of elimination, you sulk over this one. Be real with yourselves, I am, thats why I don’t include myself, these boys did what others failed with better players by the way, we don’t have a talented team we have a committed and brave lot of players period.

Wise up and come back where you belong, yes football strugglers thats what we are, up next Lesotho in our way to Brazil, focus focus!
PanAfricanist January 31, 2013 At 8:14 am

Naturally we were mad after Zed exit… but sense must prevail… This is the same team which made us Champions for live in the first place. All the Arabs are out including the number 2 on the continent algeria. We need to focus on identfying new talents esp strikers. Now we must prove another point by qualifying to Brazil.
- Ewa January 31, 2013 At 10:34 am
  
  Yes Thats what we want to hear. Viva chipolopolo. I am sad but not bitter. Its a game. Algeria ranked far much higher than our boys, where are they ??
charles January 31, 2013 At 8:17 am

Yes. Its time to move on.

Enough of soccer phobia.
Enough of Drinking
Enough of womanising

We have done all these enough.
Enough
Enough
Enough

Now its time to work and develop the country and surge forward like the others are doing.
Zambia4life January 31, 2013 At 12:53 pm

We need to be serious with our youth football development policy .Look at Ghana,they are always competing at the world stage in under 17 and 20.Look at their team this year,youthful, vibrant and energetic.they play with urgency passion.
Observe our players ,they think playing in the mvela league is the ultimate.West Africa teams will continue to dominate because their players are hungry for success.
I FOR ONE AM NOT HOPEFUL ANY MORE FOR CHIPOLOPOLO TO GO TO THE KNOCK OUT STAGE OF THE WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS.
from Barotseland January 31, 2013 At 1:09 pm

but where is felix katongo? this footballer is just on paper, never seen him playing but gets the allowances. just because he is the young to chris katongo? Can someone please help me?
TONY BLAIR January 31, 2013 At 6:11 pm

barotseland or ist sandland, do you watch football, felix provided that killer pass which made chris score against ghana in ndola, did same countles times at afcon 2012.
My advise to herve renard is; next time never listen to primitive zambian soccer fans when it comes to team selection. Especially these small tv/radio stations with cheap labour soccer analysts.