SOCCER REVIEW with STEPHEN PHIRI
I AM sure the proverbial drawing board is full and looks something like a victim of a kindergarten’s scribbling board. It’s not pleasant.
I do not know how many times we will go back to it but if we have not met our objectives, there is no harm in going back to the drawing board to seek guidance.
The under-23 national team returned home on Monday evening without a point from the 2015 Senegal Africa Under-23 Championship.
The team lost 2-1 to Tunisia, 3-2 to South Africa and wrapped up with a 1-0 defeat to hosts Senegal.
What went wrong? Who is to blame? Was the under-23 national team ready for the challenge in Senegal?
These are the questions soccer fans are asking each other.
An inquiry should be conducted to ascertain the cause of the poor performance.
It was embarrassing to see the under-23 national team being turned into wipping boys in Group A.
I feel certain players did not deserve to jump on the plane to Senegal. But for reasons I do not know, some players caught the attention of the technical bench.
I wondered why the likes of Moses Phiri, Kelvin Mubanga, Julius Situmbeko and Charles Zulu among others did not make up the 23-man squad.
These are the players that lit up the 2015 Super Division. I am not privy to reasons why they were not picked but suffice to say that the technical bench got the selection wrong.
The technical bench could have consulted widely and fellow coaches could have advised on which players to select.
Zambia has missed a chance to end the 27-year absence from the football tournament at the Olympic Games because of poor selection of players.
Let’s hope lessons have been learnt so that next time right players will be picked.
We should not take pride going for tournaments to make up numbers.
Those days are going and we should always strive for the best – be it at senior or junior level.
After all it is the country’s pride at stake.
I expect the Chipolopolo to travel to Rwanda for one thing – to win the African Nations Championship (CHAN).
The Football Association of Zambia should arrange for friendly matches so that the Chipolopolo are adequately prepared.
Lifting the CHAN trophy on February 7 in Kigali will be the best way to forget the Senegal debacle.
I know it will be tough against Mali, Uganda and Zimbabwe in Group D but with determination, the Chipolopolo could go all the way and conquer the continent.