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| Gutted Zambian supporters. Picture by Jean Mandela |
By
Mike Mubanga
I
have been compelled to respond to numerous phone calls, text and Whatsapp messages from people asking me if Zambia still has a chance to qualify to the 2017 Gabon Africa
Cup of Nations.
The
answer is NO, the Chipolopolo Boys
were ELIMINATED from the contest
following the 3-2 loss away to Guinea Bissau on Saturday.
The
George Lwandamina marshaled boys are third in Group E with six points, four
behind group winners Guinea Bissau with Congo occupying second place thanks to
their superior goal difference of plus 1.
Gabon
automatically qualified to the AFCON 2017 as hosts, while 13 group winners will
be joined by two best losers.
Surely,
Zambia has six points, how can they be best losers when you have teams on TEN points such as Tunisia in Group A, Central
African Republic in Group B and Uganda in Group D?
As
it stands, Zambia is not among the top 10 best losers so why punch innocent calculator
buttons, celebrate Kenya’s win over Congo, hope the Chipolopolo beat the
Harambee Stars and further hope that Bissau beats Congo? This is mind boggling!
Simply
put, Zambia will not qualify to the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time
since 2004, when they failed to do so under Patrick ‘the Mathematician’ Phiri.
‘Alarm signs’
Zambia’s
signs of failure to qualify to the continental showpiece started way back when
they qualified to the 2013 Africa Cup after beating Uganda 9-8 on post-match
penalties on 13 October 2013 following a 1-1 aggregate score.
The
struggles were very real in South Africa when the then reigning champions were
booted out in the first round after drawing all three games in Group C against
Ethiopia and 2013 finalists, Nigeria and Burkina Faso.
The
results showed that Zambia’s performance was nose-diving, and needed a Given
Singuluma away goal against Mozambique in the penultimate qualifier match to
secure Honour Janza’s path to Equatorial Guinea 2015 competition.
There,
the results were disastrous as the Chipolopolo drew two matches against DR
Congo and Cape Verde while losing 2-1 to Tunisia in the second Group B match.
Two
consecutive first round exits does not even need a n’ganga to tell you that
Zambia was eventually going to fail to qualify for the Afcon in one way or the
other.
‘Mistakes’
Following the exit of Herve Renard in
October 2013, the Zambian coaching bench has exchanged hands from Frenchman
Patrice Beaumelle, Honour Janza and now George Lwandamina http://mikemubanga.blogspot.de/2015/06/coming-in-for-criticism-lwandamina-must.html),
that’s only in a space of less than three years.
The
decisions have brought about drastic changes in national team players as each
and every coach that has come has either introduced, retired, or recalled some
players to suit his philosophy, and that is too dangerous if you ask me.
Lwandamina
being a part time coach at the national team is also another mistake. The Zesco
United coach, who has deservedly won back to back league titles with the Ndola
based giants, has had little or no time to monitor players within Zambia and
abroad.
The
national team job needs an independent and full time coach who will not be
accused of any bias towards his or other team(s) because the coach will be in
employment full-time and can watch any match of interest in a bid to assemble a
great squad.
The
previous administration did not handle the Chipolopolo coaching job with the
respect and dignity that it deserves, it was handled in a slapdash way to suit
the needs of the administrators more than the fans, who love the Chipolopolo to
the core.
‘Way forward’
The
Andrew Kamanga led FAZ administration which has been at Football House for 79
days, should excuse Lwandamina and find a permanent coach for the Chipolopolo
Boys before the start of the Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiers in October 2016.
Failure
to so do will be another risk which will make Kamanga and his Exco very
unpopular to the fans and Chipolopolo sponsors.
