Zambia roared back to life from two-down to knockout Iran 4-2 and qualify to the FIFA U20 World Cup last 16 for the second successive time.
Fashion Sakala, Enock Mwepu,Emmanuel Banda and Patson Daka were all on target in a dramatic second half display to become the first Zambian team to collect back-to-back group stage wins at the FIFA U20 World Cup.
And Zambia join the class of 2007 coached by George Lwandamina who were the first to reach the last 16 in Canada in Young Chipolopolo’s second U20 World Cup appearence.
But Iran gave Zambia a scare when Reza Shekari put the Asian representatives ahead in the 6th minute after Mangani Banda gifted him the ball.
Shekari added the second from the spot in the 47th minute after Daka brought down captain Omid Noorafkan.
Sakala sparked Zambia’s come back with the opener in the 53rd minute.
He is now a goal away from breaking Bernard Makufi’s 16-year record of two FIFA U20 World Cup goals.
Mwepu equalized in the 59th minute, Banda put Zambia ahead in the 64th minute before Daka crushed in a sublime goal in 70th minute to complete the rout.
A draw on May 27 against Costa Rica will be enough for Zambia to finish top of Group C for a May 31 date against the best third placed side from either Group A,B or F.
Argentina and Guinea from Group A are Zambia’s prospective last 16 opponents including Germany who are battling to qualify from Group B.
A more clearer picture in Group F will be known in Thursday’s ties involving leaders Senegal against USA and Ecuador’s match against Saudi Arabia.
The Zambia U20 team has a never die spirit. congratulations to the team.
Yes, @ine wine, a team now coached by Bestone Chambeshi a 100% Tonga bull from Gwembe valley at village Kademaunga. Viva hh!!!
………………In a dramatic second half display to become the first Zambian team to collect back-to-back group stage wins at the FIFA U20 World Cup. Poor history indeed? first Zambian team? me shocked i thought someone would say first team in Africa or World or better still SADC region
@ ine wine. A never die spirit is the one which Zambians in general should adapt if anything tangible should happen in this country. Congrats young Copper bullets. U20 world cup final here we come! If you want to make it life, dream big.
THIS EXUBERANT TEAM SHOULD REPLACE THE SO-CALLED MORIBUND NATIONAL TEAM WHICH HAS EXPIRED
DON’T MIX THEM WITH THE OLD TIRED PLAYERS OTHERWISE THEY WILL BE TAINTED
I CAN SEE THE YOUNGSTERS WINNING EVEN THE SENIOR WORLD CUP
WELL DONE BOYS
WELL DONE ECL
Well done
Iwe, we are not aiming for a draw with Costa Rica. We want an outright win so that we instill fear in other teams. Ni Zambia tiye tiye….
Two errors in a row for Mangani. Can someone tell this clown to stop behaving like a clown? The defence needs to wake up. The likes of Venezuela will have a field day with this kind of defending
congratulations boys!
I like this U20 team doing the country proud. We are Africa’s champions on merit
Well done, boys! How nice it’d be for all the bloggers to either celebrate and/or offer constructive criticism…..and not try and spoil the moment by making nonsensical political comments!
Well done to the boys. Its High time some of the Boys are integrated to the senior National team. We should take a leaf from how Mourinho has transformed Rash Ford.
God Bless them and the Technical Bench.
Chachine Ni Bola Na Lesa!!!
I think the whole under 20 team should be converted into a senior National team. This tendency we have of waiting until players start getting too old to play meaningful football is what makes our senior national team fail to play well during competitions. Let’s try something different by using young and energetic boys to do the work like they are doing. Albert Einstein once said, ” Madness is doing the same thing, the same way, all the time and expecting a different result”. Let’s try to do something different. The cost of this experiment maybe high but the benefits far outweigh the cost. After all we have nothing to loose since our senior national team now even fails to go to the AFCON.
One impressive thing with this team is that it is consistent with scoring and no dependency on one or two players to get us goals. Anyone can score, strikers as well as mid fielders. Viva Zambia
We’ll done lads! We are destined for greater things as a country. God Bless Zambia!
We love u guyz.
I almost fainted when I head that we were two down. Thankx boys good work let us show them, keep it up.
Noti ukulafenta ichifentefente. The game is 90 minutes
Great!
But what worries me most is that these boys we’re walloping today will graduate into big European teams within 5 years while our Golden boys will be stuck in Wusakile or in Orlando Pirates.
We gat to do all we can to prevent this from happening. Our ancestors won’t forgive us if, yet again, we fail to nurture this God-given talent. Only once in a blue moon does a group of talented boys burst on the scene in one swoop.
Hear me!
WELL DONE, WELL DONE!!!!!
Well done boys! Keep up the good work. God bless Zambia!
Excellent! the coaches should seriously consider using these boys for senior friendlies with a few senior players as substituites. Our senior team needs wholesome changes, here are the replacements!
Spectacular goals like Barcelona these boys. Now whats with the rubbing of their heads when going onto the field of play?
# 1.1 Chitembeye
Stop misleading people. The coach doesn’t bare a Tonga name and the village you mentionedis question. Myself did my primary school at Chaanga in Gwembe valley. I have never heard of that village you mentione.
TIYE TIYE TIYE CILEPULE ZAMBIA, OOOOO EI CIPANGE WORLD CUP.
Now to move forward we need a strong soccer academy like the ones in developed countries where soccer is big business to compete with the western world and not always selling players to Europe.Congratulations to Zambia may God bless and take the whole team to greater heights.I salute you all
A big congratulations to the boys..you make us proud!!!!!
@Chalo Nkhanza,The boys are to blame for not continuing to work hard.Look at Mayuka,when on holiday he is most of the time found at Times cafe at ARCADES
Since Corrupt,Lungu ball kicking cadre Kalu is gone, the current FAZ administration is doing a great job in preparing the team well for tournament, something useless Kalu never did because he pocketed all the money in order to feed his lavish life in South Africa at the expense of Zambia as a whole. Good riddance to Kalu and his minions, now get rid of useless, clueless, corrupt Lungu and Zambian economy will start to tick again.
Its HIGH time the coach BESTON CHAMBESHI to be replaced by a focussed COACH, THEIR IS NO WAY HE CAN ALLOW 2 GOALS and never made any changes in the field , this is the end result of beating IRAN ONLY BY 4-2 . Its a very bad result for a team claiming to be african champions
Shut up, go play nsolo and let us adults talk about football. You have no idea.
The match was cool and zambia is the best, if i was a midwife i would rate the apgar score for zambian players as 10/10 as for iran 4/10 the way they where falling in the first half after them leading as though they are premature babies.
At Anyoko and Shmadelele1 UPND cadres! Hazaluza Hagain!