Thursday, March 28, 2024

Tana:Wedson needs Kalaba

Share

Ex-Chipolopolo captain Elijah Tana says Zambia still needs the services of experienced TP Mazembe midfielder Rainford Kalaba.

Kalaba has been sidelined from the Zambia set up by coach Wedson Nyirenda on alleged disciplinary grounds.

Nyirenda overlooked Kalaba ahead of Zambia’s last three 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Algeria played in a space of seven weeks.

In an interview from his base in Chingola, Tana said he feels Kalaba, midfielder Nathan Sinkala and striker Collins Mbesuma should be recalled.

“Experience matters in football. We need Rainford Kalaba, Nathan Sinkala and Collins Mbesuma. Let’s fuse in these players I have mentioned,” he said.

“We need to maintain those Under-20 players but we need to fuse in experienced players.

Nyirenda promised to ring changes to the Chipolopolo squad when he was hired just over a year ago.

And Tana noted that Zambia played well against Nigeria last Saturday despite losing the World Cup qualifier by 1-0 in Uyo.

“It is unfortunate we lost but we played well. We can’t even complain. We just need to move forward,” he said.

Losing to Nigeria ended Zambia’s hopes of going to Russia.

26 COMMENTS

    • Bud you’re the man!! We lacked a killer number 9 when we played Naija in the name of Brian Mwila other wise Zambia will be a team to beat in the coming competitions. Mind you Nigeria fielded in professionals who trade their careers in Europe with the keeper being only a player from the local team..

  1. The only major problem with our coach, Mr Nyirenda is poor public relation and unnecessary arguments with his players. If you decide to leave the player and you are asked why you did that, you don’t start denouncing the player in the media. Find a better way of putting your argument forward. If he continues harassing players in the media like he is doing, I can assure him his days as a National team coach are numbered.

  2. We have a problem in Zambia when we assume some kind of office we stop to listen, Loolk at our presidents, some of our bishops who listen to no one but themselves the list can go on! My advise to the coach is to learn to listen and put the differences aside.

  3. Elijah Tana must be ignored as he doesnt know what he is talking about.Kalaba’s behaviour is bad just like C.C.Chama and Fwayo Tembo.as for Collins Mbesuma his football years are gone.today Mbesuma has no club and only drinks beer in South Africa.
    Wedson Nyirenda should maintain the current team minus Kalaba.moreover,Kalaba believes in juju football.ask any national team player how Kalaba behaves in camp.nobody can touch Kalaba’s boots or bag in camp,so such players are not needed in national team.NOW ITS “BOLA NA LESA” and not “BOLA NA JUJU!!”
    Maybe Nathan Sinkala can be recalled and not Kalaba and Mbesuma-period.

  4. hahahaha… kalaba Juju ,,forget it , its impossible the boy has excellent skill u are the same people saying juju never works in Soccer why talk about it on kalaba? TANA has a point a coach needs to forgive and move with the players, look at great KALU mbesuma could come on match day and previous night drunk , but kalu would inlcude him in the team as dependable striker the boy could perform and kalu could kalipila him later

    • You now missing the point, how can a coach condone indispline and you say kalipila him later, let the coach make decisions based on performance, currently Mbesuma doesn’t even play why recall him?

  5. Lets forget about kalaba and company. They did us proud by winning the nations cup in 2012. Lets build this team. The standard of play the boys exhibited was really high against a very strong Nigeria in their own back yard before a partisan capacity crowd, arguably with some of the best players on the continent at the moment. The midfield was above average. Look at how poor kalaba and nathan have been in recent games. They struggled to play in the midfield against a mediocre Mozambique. Lets not disturb the rhythm. All we need is to beef up the striking force. We could have easily buried that game with Patson Daka and Brian Mwila upfront. I think one of them should have given us a goal.

    • They lack experience and it showed. People keep saying the team is good, yes it is but it could be better if beefed up with seasoned international level players. Put king David in and all those missed chances would have resulted in goals. People need to learn to put their differences aside for the greater good. There is F3 F2 and then you go to F1 for a reason, gaining experience at different levels.

  6. You are point on BC, lets forge ahead with the current team, the future is bright. We do not need Kalaba and company, they did their part and its time for others as well to show us their mantle, period.

    • lulu you dont know what you taliking about,the current team needs to mixed up with experience players no just saying bola na lesa then u contiune loosing,does not work like that u need experience talented skills not those under 5 u are saying the can do it,u will see u continue loosing

  7. What Nyirenda needs more than anything in his coaching career is the ability to read the game and the ability to respond timely to dysfunctional parts in the team during the game

  8. Lets not forget that every product has its expirely date. You cannot win a war with indiscipline soldiers. In fact the current team is in its growth stage and lets maintain it. A country will never fall short of replacements. Lets support FAZ and its technical bench. Its better to maintain a good name than fame.

    • maintain it and continue loosing even in 2018 and more u will not even go to africa cup of nations tournament in the coming years if u continue with yo allogance

  9. TANA IS CORRCT.. HIS POOR DECISIONS HAS MADE NOT GO THE WORLD.. HE SHOULD STOP HIDING HIS INEPT JUDGEMENT AND FAILURE TO QUALIFY TO THE WORLD CUP IN BUILDING THE TEAM FOR THE FUTURE.. WE HIRED HIM TO TAKE TO RUSSIA NOT THE NONSENSE HE IS TALKING ABOUT.. BUILDING THE TEAM FOR THE FUTURE IS THE WORK OF UNDER 17,20 AND 23 COACHES. HIM IS TO PICTURE A WINNING TEAM FROM THAT POOL AND OTHER AVAILABLE PLAYERS.. AND THAT IS WHAT HE FAILED TO DO…

  10. Maybe Nathan but Kalaba should not come back please… I don’t know how Mbesuma is doing to comment… We have a good team without the old guys..

  11. Boost the team that played Nigeria with Edward Chilufya, Brian Mwila, Emmanuel Banda, Patson Daka, a left back…and you have a team that will reap teams apart!! Naija danced and should have fallen but for a helpingt hand from the ref and linesman

  12. As mentioned above the boy’s behavior is bad and very divisive. Currently there’s peace in camp which we must not disturb.

  13. The boys play excellent football, we cannot deny that but experience is required. Yes you can phase out the olden generation and bring in a new crop of players but you will still need experience to help the new boys mature and grow. No offence to anyone but Many of us commenting here have never even played football before yet we are trying to make all those anaylsis on who must be recalled and not. With all due respect to your comments, experience is required in the team.

  14. Zambia should strengthen this team with experienced players.. Then let us see their performance against reigning Champions of Africa football. Indomitable Lions of Cameroon. Nigeria is more experienced than Cameroon.

  15. Who is nyirenda ba FAZ look for a foreign coach who can bring postive results,nyirenda is always useless he has failed.When is zambia going to take part in world cup tournament?A lot of good players in zambia but he is failing to make a strong team he is such a useless coah i have ever seen in zambia.AMAFI YEKA YEKA.ATI GONGA.

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading