Chipolopolo staggered to the 2021 CHAN quarterfinals for a huge date against defending champions Morocco following a 0-0 draw on Wednesday evening with Namibia in Limbe.
It was a disjointed display littered with misfiring offensive play but Zambia did enough to labour to a draw to finish second in Group D tied on 5 points with leaders Guinea to both advance to the last eight.
Namibia too had their problems and almost gifted Zambia an own-goal in the 38th minute when goalkeeper Ndisiro Kamaijanda collided with Pat-Nevin Uanivi while trying to clear the ball that fortunately rolled inches wide with both having their backs to goal.
Chipolopolo captain Adrian Chama then headed wide the resultant corner taken by Zachariah Chilongoshi.
Striker Emmanuel Chabula also had a good chance in the 44th minute that he wasted when he too nodded Chilongoshi’s cross off target.
The second half was spark-less but Spencer Sautu, who had replaced Moses Phiri in the 57th minute, produced something close to quality in stoppage time when his speculative shot from range on the left wing went inches wide of the far right post.
Zambia now leaves Limbe for Douala where Morocco awaits them in the first quarterfinal at 18h00 on January 31 in their debut CHAN meeting and also Chipolopolo’s their first-ever North African opponent at the same tournament.
Guinea, who rallied twice against Tanzania to finish 2-2 in Douala, head back to Limbe to play Rwanda in the second quarterfinal on the same date.
Meanwhile, Zambia is now chasing their first semifinal appearance since 2009 following a third place finish at the inaugural tournament held in Cote d’Ivoire.
Sure our team behaving like a China product….
We congratulate them for staggering through ????
Does anyone know where scintillating Sports Reporter Gerald Mulwanda is?
They have done their best… Qualifying to the next round is no mean achievement
Why you things so fvcking negative? That sh!t article is so damn pulling boys down.
Be positive you idyots
Why reporting “staggering through” and yet they were in control the entire game time. There passes were accurate but only lacked finishing which can be improved on. It’s just the matter of more self confidence on the young strickers. Go Zambia Go !!
It was a tactical display because the Coach knew they just needed a draw whether Tanzania won by 5-0 it would have been Tanzania 6 points, Zambia 5 and Guinea 4 so the pressure was more on Tanzania and not Zambia…..learn to analyze permutations, there was no need for Zambia to play their lungs out playing an already eliminated Namibia. Congratulations Chipolopolo!
THE TEAM HAS DONE ZAMBIA PROUD AND THE TECHNICAL BENCH SHOULD WORK ON THE WEAKNESSES WHICH WERE DETECTED. IF ONLY THE PLAYERS COULD HAVE SELF CONFIDENCE. I AM SURE THEY WILL BUILD UP AS THEY PROGRESS AND MORROCO WILL BE BEATEN COME 31ST JANUARY 2021. WHO KNOWS THE CUP IS ON THE WAY TO ZAMBIA AS A PRESENT TO PF.
Stagger is the correct word to describe that useless performance, because all the players seemed like they were nursing hang-overs! They were not only tired but exhausted! Against Morocco thats a game i wouldnt like to watch, because Morocco are razor sharp, and we have half-goal-keeping performance from Alan Chibwe! It may be a disaster at the end of 90 minutes! And to the bench, why the high balls into the penalty area when the shortest Namibian defender was 1.9 metres, and the tallest Zambian striker is 1.7 meters! And where has the string-passing-football disappeared to? Now its long high balls from one end of field to the other, easily cleared by the tall Namibians!
I once had a chat with the late legendary Samuel “Zoom” Ndhlovu when he was in charge of our national soccer team, and he told that he cannot start teaching players how to shoot accurately at goal, according to him, thats the work the clubs where they are coming from! I hope that is not Micho’s view as well, because he has to deliver as a coach, he has to polish the players he summons to near perfection. The way he thinks them to will deliver! The Zambian players in yesterday’s game were tired and exhausted! Tired from what? Heaven knows! Wish you success in Morocco game, just hope it wont be another massacre.