Friday, March 29, 2024

Bissau give Chipolopolo a 2019 AFCON blackeye

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Zambia’s 2019 AFCON qualifying race is back on the backburner after a 2-1 away loss against Guinea Bissau.

Despite arriving a day earlier than their hosts on a charter flight on Thursday while the home side endured 20 hour trip home on a scheduled flight via Dubai, the football gods still favoured Guinea Bissau on Sunday to take the three points in Bissau.

It was a bitter defeat for Zambia, who for the second time in Bissau, capitulated to against the 2017 AFCON finalists.

But it was Zambia who took the lead in the 11th minute when Justin Shonga fired in a free kick to calm Chipolopolo’s nerves after foiling an opening two minute flurry from Guinea Bissau.

The goal gave Chipolopolo impetus but they failed to turn the domination into more goals.

Guinea Bissau, though, did have the ball in the back of the net in the 33rd minute when Jose Mendes pushed goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene, and the ball, into the back of the net but the infringement was rightly given.

However, Guinea Bissau equalized in the 53rd minute thanks to an own goal by Stopilla Sunzu when Brito Silva left a suspect Solomon Sakala in his wake before the Metz defender deflected the ball into his own net.

Seven minutes later , Guinea Bissau sealed their victory when Tony Silva headed-in Mendes’s free kick to give Chipolopolo a mountain to climb and dispatch them to their second Group K loss.

Guinea Bissau go top of Group K on 7 points from four games and await the outcome of Tuesday clash in Windhoek between Namibia and Mozambique, who like Zambia, are all on 4 points, if they are kings heading into November’s penultimate fixtures.

Meanwhile, Chipolopolo must now beat Mozambique away on November 16 and Namibia at home on March 22 to stay relevant in the hunt.

Guinea Bissau visit Namibia in November before hosting Mozambique next March in Bissau where they now enjoy a 100 percent winning run in Group K.

13 COMMENTS

  1. Mediocrity starts from State House to Football Coach. The worst Coach Zambia has ever had. This guy is below all the Coaches in Zambia.

    • But who said Solomon Sakala is better than Zesco’s Silwimba? This Sakala boycott us the match. Surprisingly, Zambia’a technical bench spent their whole 90 minutes taking notes when it was so clear Solomon Sakala was messing up – it must be a very long essay that Van DerBrooke and Kampamba had written at full time????????????????

    • Mediocrity starts from mentality. Look at the report above. It blames the football gods. When will Africans stop such superstition? When they start seeing the problem as themselves not as being caused by some beings from some outer world

  2. Though Sakala was indeed quite poor thruout, we also lack a leader in defense.
    Belgium & Man City have Kompany, Liverpool & Holland van Dyke, Nigeria & Cameroon had the late Keshi & Song resp! Its supposed to be Sunzu’s job but he’s too passive, we need to find one now…

  3. I have several times stated on this forum that errors cost us important games. Our players are too casual. If a professional bench can’t see that there is no hope. We need to get rid of those other guys on the bench especially Chintu. In spite of everything the boys’ passes and possession have improved

  4. FAZ should consider to add a local senior coach , reason it will take same time for new coach to under stand our players chintu still lacks experience

  5. I conquer with you, Solomon was not stable , kapumbu would have done better I thought he will push in kapumbu , kalaba and patson in 60th min , late substitutes costed us.

  6. Comment: Super Eagles of Nigeria on mind. They play typical modern football. Look at their second goal against Libya. Iwobi is a genius.

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