Zimbabwe made Zambia kissed the canvas after a 1-0 win at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola to see Herve Renard’s side fail to qualify for the 2014 CHAN finals.
The loss was Zambia first at what was hitherto fortress Levy where they had not lost in their last eight games and on hallowed ground in Ndola where Chipolopolo’s invincibility has been well documented from the Dag Hammerskjod era.
Zambia showed very little desire to for the South African finals at Levy after surviving 0-0 in the first leg away on August 18.
Striker Bornwell Mwape and Festus Mbewe failed to stand up and be counted when it mattered most raising major questions about their caliber to wear the green and orange.
Not even the introduction of Moses Phiri and Evans Kangwa for Mbewe and Mwape respectively failed to spark Zambia in to life.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe secured their qualification to their third successive CHAN finals through a 62bd minute goal scored by Charles Sibanda.
Zambia’s failure was their second in a roll after failing to qualify for the 2011 finals in Sudan.
This could also be a reflection of the quality of the local football league.
..and the quality and caliber of our coaching staff, if i may add.
Lessons:
1. We should stop overrating ourselves in soccer. We just never score, yet we want to rate ourselves highly. Zimbabwe would have hammered us even in that COSAFA Final. Then we went and lost in Botswana, so the writing was on the wall. I’ve always maintained that Mwape & Mbewe are blunt strikers who don’t deserve a place in Chipolopolo. They may just be good for the local league.
2. Renard has lived past his Sell-By date in our team and the earlier he leaves the better. With his failure to understand players abilities, I foresee Zambia facing the most embarrassing defeat of all times in Ghana next month. Am glad Zimbabwe didn’t leave it for the sport kicks, coz we would again have been celebrating brilliance that doesn’t exist.
To top it off they are paying a mere PE teacher an International coach’s salary…how laughable!!
That’s the name of the game! but too bad that we have lost at home. Pa Mwanawasa sure aweeee………….
Icho ichintu shuwa!!!!!
A football match is a war in ‘good terms.’ There is no chance to plan to lose a war and say that is the name of that war. We should plan to win all the time. Regardless of what numbers you have; you plan to win.
There goes the Levy Stadium win record…when are you gullible fans ever going to wake up HUMILIATED in our own backyard. AND someone will tell me that Zambian football is improving under the PE teacher…congratulations Zimbabwe.
Jay, read the profile of Jose Mourinho and you shall see that he has almost a similar background of a PE teacher. A coach can only do so much. At the end of the day, it is what the 11 men on the field do that matters the most. If they do not score then the coach cannot score for them. It would be good to find out from the players what the issues were. Last time, they complained about FAZ not paying them anything claiming that exposure was more important than the money. A typical argument when authorities still money from sportsmen.
And who do you blame for not teaching them too be clinical in front of the goal..its been the same thing for the past 17 months? What do they do in practice?
u cannot be beating ZIM in everything, insansa kucinjanya, lekeni abaneenu nano bayeeshako, after all they have had hardly any chance at the AFCON. Lets concentrate on Brazil 2014. Signs of fatigue in the small chipolopolo were already visible at Rufaro last week.
You cannot draw all your games and expect to sail through.
And they are HOPING to win in the Ashanti town of Kamusi….people need to WAKE UP!!
Zimbabwe played well at their home ground , I doubted the chipolopolo coz they lacked wisdom and bravery in their system of play in the 0-0 draw in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe were so sharper than Zambia , no wonder they have won in Zambia. I always tell my friends that I can couch better than Renard. Renard is limited in couching, he does not apply all his expertise if he has any. Please retire renard period. How can a team not score away as well as at home?
Peace and Prosperity to mother Zambia.
Awe tachiweme mwee! Pa LEVY sure?
I wonder where those GULLIBLE ZAMBIAN FANS are who were BUSY submitting all those posts about teaching small Zimbabwe a lesson at Levy last week….I bet they are MORTIFIED and drowning their sorrows in shame. It just goes to show that all their fortunes are based on wishing thinking, bravado and false optimism. Seasoned observers like ourselves who base our arguments on statics, TRIED AND TESTED sports management principles and fundamentals know that we are not going ANYWHERE…we need a complete overhaul to remove the cancer..that means ridding ourselves off the self serving greedy empty suits at Football House and starting afresh forget the AFCON 2012.
The teams around us are improving where as we are still complacent and celebrating AFCON CUP 2012 win.
Some sense in here>
How would you gauge the game if a complete team with other professionals was in?
IT WAS NOT OUR DAY THE BOYS PLAYED VERY WELL,ZIM HAD ONE CHANCE AND BURIED IT ,LET THE COACH PLAN FOR THE NEXT BIG GAME AGAINST GHANA,NO USE CRYING OVER SPILT MILK
So in a nutshell – we lost because it was not our day and Zimbabwe won because they had one chance and took it.
Zambia is useless when it comes to soccer. The fact is, in Zambia we have guys who can play good soccer but the problem is corruption in the system. Many of the good soccer players have no money to corrupt those officials.
Zambia is full of corruption and nepotism. So if you don’t have money and you are not related to any of those officials, you have to give your sister to one of those officials to horse pipe her. as she opens her legs, she opens a way for you to be part of the national term. That’s how it goes pa Zed.
Foolish talk.
Tell the truth and not allegations.
This is witchraft way of thinking.
It is just a loss though I also dont like the front pair of Bornwell and Festus….for sure it failed to tick. Maybe Satesate and Evans pair would have made a difference given chance….like they did at under 20.
Proof read please LT.
how HR continues using mbewe and mwape as defies logic. Thought these two boys ll improve with time…a terrible mistake! Surely faz and lusha himself are to blame. Did that team yesterday knew the task at hand. What did HR tell them at break.
After winning cosafa i head some lumpens saying thats the team to send to kumasi ghana, my foot!
Its sad and shameful. Who told lusha to appoint matsauso mwale on that bench.
Foolish caching and strikers. Seven national appearances in a row you can,t score convincingly as striker and the caoch keeps you. Shame indeed. What have we gained from those two strikers bornwell and mbewe absolutely shame. Find new localbstrikers
lenard cant leed the game its not the players fault .fastus was too slow in the first half that is were attack was dying,Mwape is a very good player he only lucked service.