Zambia’s dream of qualifying for the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil is over after losing their second consecutive match at the 2015 CAF Under-23 Cup in Senegal.
The Junior Chipolopolo on Tuesday evening lost 3-2 to South Africa to exit the CAF Championship where top three teams will qualify for the Rio Olympic Games.
Zambia conceded three second half goals in a space of seven minutes as South Africa came from behind to overcome their COSAFA region rivals.
Fighton Simukonda’s side led after 35 minutes with Lusaka Dynamos youngster Conlyde Luchanga netting a superb goal after finishing off a Spencer Sautu cross.
But South Africa turned the game on its head after the break with three goals in the 46th, 51st and 53rd minutes inked by Menzi Masuku and Gift Motupa who grabbed a brace.
However, Zambia never gave up easily as defender Billy Mutale reduced the deficit to 3-2 when he finished off Lubambo Musonda’s corner after 72 minutes.
This result means that Zambia cannot advance to the semi-finals of this CAF Championship as they lost their opening Group A match to Tunisia via a 2-1 score-line.
Zambia last took part in the Olympics football competition in 1988.
Its not losing a match that I find painful; what’s most painful to me is to lose a match to a team that’s not as skilful as yours because of a dull coach and technical bench. south Africa were FAR from winning this match and do not even make the grade to go further than this group, but the stup!d!ty of our technical bench made them look like a very good side – maybe we need to be conducting some basic IQ tests on players and coaches for our national sides. What a strange corner we conceded leading up to SA’s second goal! And to show that the coach had no game plan he just remained motionless each time the boys boobed. does simikonda know why theres a small rectangle drawn outside the pitch just in front of him? Awe mwandi mwatusebanya. Mailo nshakaye na kunchito coz South Africans…
The best Edgar can do is to descend on Chipolopolo players and forbid them to be Zambian. Deny voters card to anyone related to soccer, they don’t like Zambia. Any soccer player found with a voters card must be labelled same as any of those stone throwing cadres.
CONTINUED:\ behave like they’ve won the World cup each time they beat Zambia
If I hear anyone talking about the drawing board, nalacitoba. After all there isn’t anyone who reads it.
Zambia has a lot of talent yet we want to overwork Lubambo, Ronald, Spencer Sautu, etc. The moment Micheal Owen went to the senior team at age 17 he no longer featured in the age limit teams & yet I strongly believe we have better talent than England. Tulenwafye brown kanshi kwa kanyama nakwa changachanga.
No area seems to be doing fine in Zambia, even football. National prayers are needed, this time to improve football performance kkkkk…..
I cant remember the last time I saw an African National soccer team concede 3 goals in 10 minutes!
7 minutes even!
I told the nation that with Toaster Nsabata in goal,Zambia cannot win any match.Secondly,the selection of players to the national team was not done on Merit.Players who were playing week in and week out were left out in preference to bench warmers.e.g Kapota Kayawe is not a regular player at Nkana.The coach himself was the worst performer in the league.We ve better holding mildfieders in the league in the name of Francis Kasonde but he was left out in preference to Jack Chirwa who is poor at ball control.
Toaster Nsabata probably has some good connections with the higher authorities in Zambia.
TOASTER BUTTER SABATA, is too slow to react and has late reflexes. The first time I saw him was when Chipolopolo played Japan. Again he had made chipolo to lose a winning game as he did it to Tunisia by allowing two silly goals. Please spare him for local league only. We have better keepers like lads from Warriors, Mufulira Black pool, Radian, Matero, and ZESCO Chipata.
When Peter “Toshaki” Kaumba failed to qualify U23 he had been sidelined for life due to his stubbornness for not allow Kalaba to feature. The same should apply to Fighton who seems to have limited selection of players from Copperbelt and Lusaka. Young coaches like Belton Musonda, Chiangi, Menfred, should be given chance to take Chipolopolo to higher heights.
Nsabata is not a good goal keeper to deserve a place in the national team.All those goals ,he conceded were unavoidable
Toaster has the worst ball distribution of any national team goal-minder, in my opinion! The yound man’s decision making is pathetic. reminds me of Norwich City keeper John Ruddy.
But that’s not my biggest worry; Kalu’s sheer wisdom of picking two uninspiring coaches who did so badly in the league in the name of Fight and Tenant to be in charge of an ‘Olympics” team beats the day lights out of me! These two provided no tactical approach, the team was uncoordinated and were probably riding on mere luck.
I tend to remember Janza was fired for ‘sitting on the bench and watching football’, instead of coaching!
I’ve just finished watching the Senegal – Tunisia game that Senegal won 2-0, and am afraid its not looking good for us. This tournament is likely to be as disastrous for Zambia U23 as the 2013 AFCON FINALS in Mbombela South Africa where we didn’t win a single match at all …
It’s good for our kwacha.
Indeed, the way i av seen it as well, it will b a mountain to climb winning amasene.
I don’t normally blog, But I’m forced to today because having wacthed the Tunisia game and the South African game, I’m convinced that our young team is very talented and skillful, what killed them is the Coach and his assisstants, Zambia lacked tactics in both games. In both games they surrendered their lead and score because of poor tactics from the coach. Why do FAZ send our local coaches abroad to learn new football tactics? Football is now very advanced in terms of tactics and technology, Please ba FAZ, You are doing disservice to our your footballers by giving them naive and inept, poorly equipped coaches who fail to read the game. Zambia should have beaten Tunisia if they played counter attacking football in the second – half with a different formation and an extra defender,…
Watching the first game against Tunisia I noted that the Zambian players lacked anticipation skills. This is unacceptable for players at that level. May be these losses are a blessing in disguise.
Nsabata is not a good goal keeper to deserve a place in the national team.All those goals ,he conceded were unavoidable_______TRUE TRUE
useless goal keeper…
Uselles Coach even Nchanga Rangers could have been relegated to division 1. Nsabata is the worst national goal keeper in the southern region and at the tournament. Fire Simukonda and bring Manfred Chabinga to rebuild a new under 23 team.
We do not have coaches with the sense of ownership like the great late Ucar,Keagan Mumba with the heart for the country, lets try new coaches like Paka litente-Manfred partnered with Mumamba.