While most will say Zambia were lucky to make the AFCON final, coach Herve Ranard said what really mattered is that Zambia will be making the draws for the AFCON finals later this month.
“What is important is that we have qualified. We have won matches on penalties and we have lost matches on penalties. This tells me the players are maturing and they are keeping their cool and know what to do,” the Frenchman said after the match.
His opposite, Scot Bobby Williamson was magnanimous in defeat saying his charges did the best they could and it was the evil part of football called penalties that saw his side wait for the Africa Cup berth delayed for the 36th year.
Patrick Ochan missed the key kick in the post-match shootout amid an atmosphere of spiraling tension as Uganda threw away an early advantage and again missed out on qualification by the narrowest of margins.
Kennedy Mweene was the hero on the day yesterday as Zambia scrapped through to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in South Africa in a match where the reigning African Champions lived a life of a cliff hanger.
Twenty kicks were needed before the continental champions could advance 9-8 on penalties after losing the second leg of their final round qualifier 1-0 to their hosts in Kampala.
On the pitch, Zambia who had a 1-0 cushion from the first leg at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola last month saw Uganda level the aggregate score after 27 minutes through Geoffrey Massa who benefitted from laxity in defence to chest down a speculative cross and placing it down to Mweeneès bottom right to lead.
But Mweene saw that victory for Zambia lay in post-match penalties and not in regulation time and effectively run down the last 10 minutes of the clock.
Zambia captain Christopher Katongo, an excellent penalty taker was first to step up in the shoot-outs and saw his otherwise tame shot palmed out by an outstanding Uganda goalie, Dennis Onyanga to raise pressure in the game.
But Zambia got a reprieve when Uganda`s captain Andy Mwesiga hit the cross bar and their third penalty shot which effectively brought the two on level terms after Emmanuel Mayuka scored for Zambia after Uganda netted through Godfrey Walusimbi.
Going one better than the AFCON score, Zambia won 9-8 and scored the other penalties through Nathan Sinkala, Isaac Chansa, Kennedy Mweene in the first five before Felix Katongo, Jonas Sakuwaha, Chintu Kampamba and keyman Stopilla Sunzu finished off the game.
This further injured Uganda who after taking a first half lead, saw a point blank header by Emmanuel Okwi saved by Mweene who went on to win the match for Zambia.
Zambia should have read the signs in as after a slow start, the goal just seemed to trigger the urgency in the Zambian team but all their efforts were easily dealt with by a resolute Uganda defence.
With the midfield clearly missing the services of one, Rainford Kalaba due to injury and Isaac Chansa oddly placed on the right wing, Zambia’s nerve centre was a little out of sorts and failed to produce a smooth flowing passing game they are so well known for.
Skipper, Christopher Katongo did not look himself in this opening quarter and with Mayuka feeding on crumbs from the midfield, the signs were always threatening but a DR Congo based Nathan Sinkala put up a solid performance to hold Zambia together.
As if coach Renard had told them to run down the clock, Zambia was doing everything to kill off the Uganda rhythm which was urged on by the long running unbeaten record and occasionally found themselves living dangerously with Algerian referee Djamel Hamoudi not helping matters.
With Zambia going forward, Uganda started finding spaces in midfield where Tonny Mawejje was outstanding and when on 20 minutes he fed Geoffrey Kizito, Mbola was easily turned inside out but Mweene reacted fast to clear the danger.
Spurred on by the goal, Uganda pressed Zambia with Massa running a lot at the defence but by then, all eyes were on him and he was closed out with ease for a 1-0 half time lead.
Zambia approached the second half with a lot more vigour and took the game to hosts and Mayuka was first to present a threat after he wiggled himself into space on the left in the 59th minute and produced a delicious curled but Dennis Onyango was equal to the task.
congratulations boys!!!
Victory is Victory period.
Good show.South Africa is home ground advantage.We should defend the trophy.
congrats to the boys.mweene u r the best,u deserve the captain title.as for chris katongo u need to retire on a serious note,u are finished now dude
#4 Even greatest players have missed penalties, eg Messi, ronald,Bebeto, eto, pele above all our own Kalusha. So missing a penalt shouldn’t an issue for calling for Chris to retire. Taking a penalt is not easy.
iwe Mwimpota Mukabwela who talked about missing a penalty here?which school did u go to??do u really understand the queen ‘s language or u need me to help u??do u ve eyes to see hw he was playin in the pitch???maub u ve grasshopper compound eyes.i can lend u mine if u dont mind .
I agree missing a penalty is not the end of a player. Michael platini, ZICO, Didier all these have missed penalties but they are or have been excellent players. Katongo gives inspiration to the boys. Congrats boys.
Bravo mighty Chipolopolo,its now time to put your house in order by strenghthening the defence,midfield and sharpening the front line..we can go a long way at the next Afcon.
Congrats boys. But there are a number of lessons to be drawn over the two legs. Even when other quarters say home ground advantage is of no significance in the modern game, I feel we should have finished the cranes off (as one writer put it) at THE ESTADIO DE LA LEVY in Ndola. Its also impressing to see how our lads took the penalty shoot outs with ease and confidence. I remember the old days when the chipolopolo were useless penalty takers. Congrats once again.
25million in the bag babyyyyyy
y put chansa on the wings? HR at times does seem to be doing things out of pressure
Congratulations Boys…we love and you make us proud. I know you just changed your names so that you can be accommodated in the team. Only a few of you kept your names like Mweene, the rest you changed to suit the status quo. Anyway, the point is, you make Barotseland and Zambia my beloved countries very proud. CONGRATS!!!! South Africa! Here we come!
Herve Renard needs to loosen up & grow the team in terms of positions. Players will always get injured and fall sick from time to time. Sakuwaha should have started on the wings & could have been interchanging with Chris while maintaining Chansa in the middle, we were gonna have a blast in kampala. But hey, guess shakespeare was right when he said all is well that ends well.
Zambia is now patiently awaiting its mates in group C, drawls to be made on our independence day. First match for Chipolopolo 21 January, 17:00, second match 25 January, 17:00, and third and final group match 29 January, 19:00 at Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit. Please sing along the following: Ababanthu kubauzauza okanakana………ababanthu kubauzauza okanakana………Chipolopolo nimakali, okanakana, Chipolopolo nimakali, okanakana okanakana……….okanakana okanakana………..okanakana okanakana……….. okanakana……..
Mentor……you are really crasy, i did sing alone tho
Ala bay guy imwe you have broken my ribs, ala ninseka bad! first read it dindt understand a thing, was like “bushe wat language is this, maybe fya kusaufi, then the song ran in my head automatically my brain started singing it, i remember the song when i was little”. Gosh you are bad news bane, am now singing it with great pleasure!
# 5 and # 4 Even football debate you are insulting each other.
brian iwe what is an insult to u ?and putting up a point straight?u seem also nt to understand the queens’s language huh!need some help burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
The best Italian player missed a penalty which led Brazil to win the World Cup
No 4 Y do u want Chris to retire , is it not his goal that made Zambia to take penalties in Kampala. People learn to appreciate .
u also seem nt to understand the queen’s language.i offer lessons for free dull dude
Chris is finished and is not suppose to be a starter.It is time to try Mayuka and Sakuwaha striker pair.Sakuwaha scores a lot of goals in Sudan.His team is more less like TP Mazembe of D R C Congo Chris is suppose to be our “Rodger Milla”.Chansa was played in the wrong position.Clifford Mulenga was suppose to replace Kalaba.Renard should be told that we dont player good football when we are playing defencively.Our worst game at AFCOM we were playing to defend (Ghana Vs Zambia).
but we should improve our play system for goodness sake we are the champions. our prefomance was pathetic. i watched the match live in kampala. at one point we were so mute gripped with tension. however congatrs
thats a good observation chulu
congratuations guys…what maters is winning regardless of how the game was played.Am proud to be a chipolopolo fan.Now its SHOW TIME K25million untaxed…….I WANA BE A PLAYER
Renard should not hold a grudge againist CLIFFORD MULENGA. The youngman apologised afterall. Without Kalaba and Jacob Mulenga, Clifford would have made abig difference. Congrats though.
zambians stop thinkng nagatively ,shootout is part of the game Pray for us Zimbabwean at1700hrs so that we also go to SA and help each other to keep this trophy down here not north or western africa.A WIN IS A WIN.
tulu(true),i was also thinking about zim zim.
This nonsense of praying for games is sickening. Do you think God hates the other team?
And I thought we Angolans are also Southern Africans. So you’ll rather Zimbabwe beat Angola?
What a drama, at least we won congratulations Chipolopolo. Katongo No worries, it happens. We will always be proud of you.
#17 Thanks, you are very right a win is a win but am sorry you are on your own, prayers in football never work so just work doubly harder you might win we need at least one neighbor to start helping out as we can’t keep on representing you. Who did you say you playing against today?
#17
I just checked you are playing Angola, now that complicates matters as you are both neighbors so very difficult to pray for either of you. Good luck to both teams.
Zambians understand the rules of the game in knockout competitions .Instead of worrying hoe you did it pray for us Zimbabweans so that we try and keep this trophy down in southern africa.We are playing today @ 1700hrs we lead 3 – 1 from the first leg
Football is great. Everybody is a coach! Or a prophet.
My obeseravation was that zambia did pretty well,,zam is use to playing football on the floor,,one tocuh quick passing,,but with the quality of the pitch wer they cudnt make passes togethr without the ball bobbling up and cudnt run ore than 5 yards without it boobling up,,this kind of football is played in shaty compounds not on int stage,,yet they played ok and got thru,,,other than that i hear pipo syaing we must start preparing now,,hows that possible when the entire team that played is playing in foreign land,,hw can they get them together,,impossible,,
If i were the manager of CHRIS KATONGO i wld advise him 2 play in another league.one thing i’ve observed is that mostly his level of fitness is below par.Otherwise the guy is a great and an inspirational player.As 4 the chipolopolo boys i wld say that the victory was sweet.
congratulations boys,,please keep football clean dont bring that boringland nonsense into the game # 9 .Zambia as one zambia one nation will be behind the boys as they defend the cup.Lets go to s.a to support.
when pipo say that we must start preparing now..what they mean is that officials in charge of friendlies shud start organizing dates for quality friendlies….all logistics shud be in place….all hotel arrangements for south africa afcon 2013 shud be put in place…..all other chipolopolo players to be considered for positions….herve renard shud immediately draw a plan for 2013 afcon…..the government shud also put officials on standby for logistics…so that when the players are called to camp…its all systems goooooo…viva chipolopolo…
What’s the fuss about Chris???!!!! This guy will die for us Zambians.. check out the way he plays… selfless football, gathering all his muscles to deliver not for himself but for us all (Zambians) who after each and every win we say (Tawina) despite the fact that we do not all kick that ball on the field. THANKS BA CHRIS KATONGO
I like the fact that no copper-miner is giving credit to the Ugandan team for dominating their African Champions over 90 minutes and only the penalty gamble saving them. Fact is it was 1-0 in Kampala, and the Chipolopolo fell in the 90 minutes just like real powers and not just lucky Champions have fallen here –Nigeria, Senegal, DR Congo, Ghana, Angola…
MY DEAR FRIEND LET ME ENLIGHTEN YOU ABOUT FOOTBALL;FIRST OF
ALL, I GET YOU, BECAUSE YOU ARE SURELY AFFECTED TERRIBLY YOUR PREFERED TEAM LOST BUT THEN AGAIN SUCH IS FOOTBALL MY DEAR KITAKA. NO ONE REMEMBERS HOW BEAUTIFULL OR HOW TACTICAL YOU PLAYED IF YOU DID NOT CARRY THE DAY IN THE END WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS IF YOU LIFTED THE DAY,IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW MANY GOALS YOU SCORED THE DIFFERENCE IS……, DID YOU SLAUGHTER YOUR OPPONENT? IF NOT SHUT IT AND GO CRY PEACEFULLY OR SEEK HELP!
DO YOU REMEMBER WORLD CUP IN SOUTH AFRICA? BTWN THE NETHERLANDS AND SPAIN? MY DEAR HOLLAND SHOWED SKILE ( SKILL) I MEAN THEY DIED A LITTLE FOR HOLLAND, THE DUTCH MEN WERE FLYING BUT IN THE END THE SLOPPY SPAINIADS TOOK THE DAY AND THAT IS WHAT IS REMEMBERED MY PAL SO KALALENIFYE!
Just eat humble pie. You lost and you will always be second best! You will probably be at AFcon after 50yrs
Since the Africa cup Chris Katongo has been a passenger. He may have chanced a goal against Ghana and against Uganda, the man has been so ineffective. Yesterday I neve saw him. I never saw him fight for the ball, I didn’t see him make a pass. The man was nowhere, if anything, because of him we were almost playing a man less. I think there are more ambitious boys who can take his place. He should retire.
A win iz a win,u can’t change it.Even big countries in Football like Brazil etc or big clubs in temz of soccer,they have won games through penalties. So lets continue to congrats our Chipolopolo!!! Well done guys!!!
The outcome of uganda game is what makes football to be football. it is unpredictable. We are the champs! Go Zambia Go. Pa Africa, bonse nibangwele.
Please leave my friend Chris Katongo alone. He did you a favor, by not scoring first, otherwise no one else would have scored. And Uganda would have won 8-1, if my Calculus is correct.
I feel its time renard stepped aside 4another coarch who can take us to another level .u c wen a teacher make u pass grade 7 a new tearcher shud take over in grade 8.
True indeed zee, its high time we hired a local coach who does not hold any grudge against any player,just look at how sakuwaha and clifford are treated by this coach.
“What is important is that we have qualified”.
BUT THERE ARE ALOT OF LESSONS TO BE LEARNT, TOO. PLAYERS DON’T MEET TO PRACTICE AND ACQUAINT TO THEMSELVES, ENOUGH.
A great team won, period! bravo boys! South africa, here we come.
No Cranes(BIRD) can survive Chipolopolo (copper Bullet) we Go we Go Zambia we GO…..
Reply
This is the result of not taking of your FIFA friendlies seriously and not rounding up foreign based players…remember that wasted trip to South Korea??
@33 Nostradamus, Katongo did not do us any favour. Had he scored, he would have blocked even the Ugandans from scoring.LoL.
Zimbabwe has qualified on penalty shootout, cameroun has beaten cape verde 2-1 but lose 3-2 on aggregate, hence they miss AFCON 2013 again, capeverde joins AFCON 2013
if herve renard wants to continue succeeding he shud stop having the english mentality. England loses tornaments before they began. an injury to rooney or any of the other sidekicks, the whole england team is useless, the whole british media ll be falling over each other telling the world why england ll not go far at world cup/euro cup. They say EPL is the best in the world yet they ve no strength in depth wen it comes to england,why cry over one player. Renard! much as kalaba is skillfull player your statement is out of sorts.
As for insane pipo saying chris should retire, they better ask their fathers to do so. How many world stars ve failed to score penalties? Chris brot us the africa cup so shut up you stupid good for nothing lumpens calling for his blood. [-(
congratulations our friends Zimbabwe, when Zambia is playing, Zimbabweans support like we are one country,lets support them also,lets do it for southern Africa.
Wake up call. teams will prepare adquately to eliminate the reigning AFCON Champs. ewe need to sharpen our frontline to kill off games early to save energy. We need to round our best players before the games begina dn have adquate preps. Otherwise Rehnard and team polish up the mistakes seen. Uganda prepared for us big time. they gave us a scare.
No Cranes(BIRD) can survive Chipolopolo (copper Bullet) we Go we Go Zambia we GO…..
uhmmm
More prostitutes for free in Lusaka as people celebrate the qualifications
the players need at least a month before afcon
Qualifiers for 2013 Orange Africa Cup of Nations to be played in South Africa are as following in (alphabetical order)
Algeria: Angola :Burkina Faso: Cape Verde Islands: Democratic Republic of Congo : Ethiopia: Ghana: Ivory Coast: Mali: Morocco: Niger: Nigeria: South Africa: Togo: Tunisia and Zambia (holders)