Chipolopolo coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic says it is time for the Class of 2017 to emulate the Class of 2007 but must take it a step further with a debut FIFA World Cup qualification.
A third of the Class of 2007 notably striker, Emmanuel Mayuka, and defender ,Stopilla Sunzu, played a critical role in Zambia’s debut AFCON triumph in 2012 in Gabon.
Micho said the Class of 2017, who won Zambia’s debut U20 AFCON on home ground led by players like Patson Daka, Enock Mwepu and Fashion Sakala, and later reached the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup quarterfinals for the first time, will form the base of his charge during the 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifiers.
“Some players with the highest degree of respect to them, they have given to Zambian football, they have been part of the most glorious times of winning 2012,”Micho told Diamond TV.
“However after certain things have happened, it could not be that we continue with the same people. I want to call it lack of ambition and we still want to achieve something.
“Those are the decisions we need to make and let us not sugar-coat, let us be sincere to ourselves and look at the fact that for the 2012 generation which won it has been the backbone of that group which qualified for the World Cup under-20 2007.
“The same for us going into the World Cup 2022 which is, for us now the platform is the group which won the Africa Cup Under-20 in 2017, and reached the quarterfinal of the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup.
“When you look at that, someone needs to have the courage and say the bold truth; we could not put all the players we are having outside in the team.
“There will be public sympathies towards those that made 2012 but let us also ask the question; who has failed Zambia in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019? Someone needs to pay that price.”
Meanwhile, Chipolopolo are also under pressure to end two successive failures to qualify for the AFCON that has not happened since 1972.
Coach, you are right and have a lot of support from many of us. However, do remember that every decision has consequences. Go ahead, make the call and be bold to face the consequences if the targets are not achieved.