Nchanga Rangers coach Fighton Simukonda has reluctantly backed his goalkeeper Toaster Nsabata after his questionable display when Zambia lost 4-3 to Japan in a friendly played in America on Saturday.
Nsabata has been heavily criticised for leaking four goals as Chipolopolo squandered a 2-0 lead to lose the friendly match Japan used to warm up for the 2014 FIFA World Cup that begins this Thursday in Brazil.
Simukonda said Nsabata tried his best in the early morning friendly played in Tampa, Florida.
“That is a national issue I can’t comment but he did his best,” he said.
Nsabata started ahead of Power Dynamos keeper Joshua Titima as number one Chipolopolo keeper Kennedy Mweene is out because of injury.
“The whole team performed well and deserve a pat on the back. You know Japan have qualified for the World Cup,” Simukonda added.
Lets all give support to the young man remember,mweene didnt just become the best in one day it had 2 take him some .At one point he allowed easy goals at the africa cup against Cameroon and since Zambians we forget easily now we want to blame Toaster.
Some coaches ati you know japan has qualified to the WC, does it mean they are not beatable and your poorly coached keeper has to show immaturity and over excited for flying and do nothing in the goal. What challenging shot did he manage to catch nothing.
That goal of yours just tell him that was his first and last call to the national team.
Why blame Nsabata and not a Japanese goalkeeper who allowed 3 goals, and he is going to world cup? Nsabata was good. I have seen Mweene do worse blander than Nsabata.
To me the culprit was Sunzu. Yes he did some crucial tackles and so did Nsabata save some. However, if you watch the Japan’s third and fourth goals with Sunzu’s positioning in mind you will know what I am talking about. The second goal was a speculative goal but I think the defence gave Kagawa too much space. Sunzu was walking most of the time. Sinkala was great in the first half but badly faded in the second which left Chansa open.
What let us down were tactics. When we went ahead the team resorted to defensive play which is not a typical Zambian type of soccer. Every time we attacked or had the ball Japan was in trouble. The coach should take most of the blame in my view.
The blame lies on the Coach and the defenders, blame him for one goal only where he was watching his defenders and not the path of the ball but even that would have been cleared by Sunzu and his friend.
Guys as much as it hates to lose the boys did their best it is not easy to play a team which has been in camp for three weeks preparing for a big tournament and get a result like the boys did just after being in camp for 5 days together, lets encourage the boys including the goalkeeper that’s just my view that was a good training game big up to Kalu and his team for organising such games who thought zambia will ever play brazil in a friendly game, when we had people like Simata simata as Faz president we only used to play Namibia and these small countries we can’t even learn anything from them, zambia is playing good football keep it up boys and let’s support our boys not only when the win,that why people like Simata Simata are jealous of Kalu
It seems Simataa is occupying some space in your useless brain.
It’s not Kalu nor FAZ organizing these games it’s the respective opponents (countries). Brazil will play Cameroon and Japan will play Ivory Coast in the group stages of the world cup. These countries are trying to have a feel of African football hence inviting Zambia for friendlies against them. Zambia being absent from the world cup, available and desperate for money accepts lucrative offers of this kind. Zambia spends nothing on these games by the way.
Mr Simukonda if that is his best then he should not wear the number ONE jersey again!
I like the boy’s honesty in his analysis of his mistakes;” I was not communicating to the defenders and organizing them”, “the fourth goal was entirely my fault”. A goalkeeper needs to organize his defence and issue instructions on their positioning, which opposition player is to be marked, e.t.c. In short he needs to shout at them! He is a very ambitious young man whose aim is to be ‘Number One’. With hard work he can be.
I toast you Nsabata!!!
Soccer analysts awe sure some comments kuti waseka
First and foremost HOW CAN SOMEONE BE CALLED “TOASTER and adding salt to an injury “NSABATA” the names are scary also what tribe could such a person be is he was Zambian? Change his names he shall start performing well, we should alos blame KALABA who had a clear cut chance but shot wide as if he is tall himself