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We Will Respond To The Draw As We Do It on The Field – Renard
Zambia’s 2012 challenge for the Africa Cup of Nations title begins with Group ‘A’ tests against co-hosts Equatorial Guinea, powerhouses Senegal and Libya in a draw Chipolopolo trainer Herve Renard believes his squad should be able to do well and pull-through as the Chipolopolo seek the country’s first ever continental silver ware.
Zambia will be based in Bata, a city 30-minutes away by air from the capital Malabo.
When draw-master and CAF General Secretary Hicham El Amrami picked the first of the pot two seeds, Zambia emerged to complete a group that should be tough and competitive as any of the others.
Said Renard immediately after the draw: “All games are difficult at this level and that is why our focus is to prepare well and adequately. Our key will be our preparations and preparing well like we did going into the last Nations Cup will see us get the results.”
In dissecting each of the group’s three teams, the Fox, as the Frenchman is fondly called said “Senegal will be strong because at the moment, they maybe one of the best in Africa. For Equatorial Guinea, all hosts are dangerous because they’re playing at home so we need to be careful. And like you said for Libya, we didn’t beat them in two games in the qualifiers but we have to do it for the Africa cup finals. I think we can qualify out of it,” Renard said adding: “If anyone of us says we cannot beat these teams and can’t qualify, then we’re better off staying at home.”
He said the preparations start immediately stressing “Talking is very easy but for us we have to do it on the field. We will be ready and any answers as to whether the draw was good or not will be known at the end of the first round games. Remember the draw is just about the group but there are games after that.”
The Chipolopolo open their campaign against Senegal on 21st January and take on Libya three days later – 25th January – in the same city. Zambia will end her group campaign against the hosts, also in Bata on 29th January. With qualification to the last eight, Chipolopolo will play the quarter-final in Equatorial Guinea and may only switch nations at the semi-final draw depending on the outcome of other groups and results.
FAZ President Kalusha Bwalya in commenting on the draws said the Association will “as has been our policy with all national team games and competitions and seen with what we did in the last Nations Cup prepare the team adequately”.
“We will stop at nothing to ensure that everything the team needs is at their disposal and most importantly that the team prepares fully and should be ready for the difficult task against Senegal, the usual dangerous task of playing hosts and rise to the occasion to beat Libya. We remain indebted and very grateful to wonderful government support, collaboration and the support of all sponsors and stakeholders. Nothing is easy at the Africa Cup finals but we shall be ready for that challenge because our preparations will be par excellence,” Kalusha said adding: “the coach is in, the players are available and with the international match against Nigeria in Abuja in two weeks time, we coach gets a head start to preparations. But of course we shall announce soon the full programme of preparations as we’ve been consulting with the state and other partners, local and international on the team’s preparations.”
By Football Association of Zambia (FAZ)
Posted by
Wren
October 30, 2011 at 2:54 pm
Am also scared, we might exit prematurely this time if not careful without even a single point. Let’s work extra harder & together guys. There is no big or small team in football this time.
Mankande
October 30, 2011 at 3:36 pm
senegal is the strongest in our group, followed by Libya the Us, so we will be luck to advance to the last 8.
samuel
October 30, 2011 at 4:08 pm
its donchi kubeba will kick them nd advance to the last 8
Dien
October 30, 2011 at 5:21 pm
Which statements sounds better to you:
1. We’ll bring the AFCON2012 CUP home.
2. We’ll exit PREMATURELY.
If 1. you need to start medical check ups early so that you are putt on appropriate treatment, sitifuna ma collapsing once Zambia wins.
If 2., dont watch any of the games; just ignore there’ll be such a thing as AFCON2012.
kapungwe
October 30, 2011 at 5:39 pm
I want to see cliford mulenga and Andrew Sinkala in the team that will go to the Africa cup.
Alego - Netherlands
October 30, 2011 at 6:21 pm
i totally agree with Kupungwe, Andrew Sinkala is in bundasliga we need his services in the holding of the middle for us to beat teams like senegal. Kalu should not influence on Renard in player selection, give chance to good players twapapata. Kalu stop favours for certain players. Yes Clifford is needed on the left wing.
Look at Mbola at TP Mazembe, always on the bench. they ve spoiled the boy’s career. Mbola was very good when in armenia, he is finished now and cant make a start on lineup with our national team.
Mwina Zambia
October 30, 2011 at 6:29 pm
Renard never developed as a coach an aggressive attitude in the players. I wonder what he will do this time. You need to train our boys to be serious on the pitch and forward moving and not with their backs towards the opponents.
C;mon Renard, What will you do now.
HAMS 67
October 30, 2011 at 7:05 pm
I can see that we all need the cup in Zambia. Please Renard, use all the available players without fear or favour.
Gilbert
October 30, 2011 at 8:30 pm
FAZ please prepare a good parkage for our boys as a moral booster…money is what im talking about..not those Dollars u give them…
Wanu Ngwee
October 30, 2011 at 9:11 pm
Renard is undoubtedly one of the best fitness trainers we’ve ever hard, but we also need to beef up the actual techniques and tactics of the game. It’s the combinationa of these that wins tournaments.
Wanu Ngwee
October 30, 2011 at 9:13 pm
This time Kalusha must patch up with Milanzi and invite him to be part of AFCON 2012, we need his agression!
Mulenga Kapambwe jnr
October 30, 2011 at 10:37 pm
The chap is already saying “we” and yet he only arrived yesterday and will soon run away again especially if the team doesn’t perform well at AFCON 2012. By the way ba FAZ, has this chap (FOX) signed a CONTRACT? If so, what are his perks like? The Zambian people who are the tax payers have a right to know.
bangwele
October 31, 2011 at 5:21 am
The players should be aggrassive on the pitch. Not what I last saw at Nchanga stadium. The temple was very slow and only christopher was busy on the ball. Renar, dont spoil players by teaching them walking football. Twanaka naimwe bangwele
colee
October 31, 2011 at 6:44 am
Dien, that is just lame.
colee
October 31, 2011 at 6:53 am
Wanu Ngwee, is Milanzi your relative or what? The man you are calling for is over 35, are you sure we need him? Zambia has got young and good strikers in this era that can do the job way better than Milanzi ever could. Dont be backward-minded please, lets move forward and win this coming AFCON.
Hidden Object
October 31, 2011 at 9:56 am
Let Renard improve this time. We dont want someone who will abandon our players anyhow. Let him train the boys amicably then he did last time. Let him control his temper to improve the boys. We need the cup in Zambia. Was it not for the love of Zambia,Renard would not have been allowed to coach the Chipolopolo boys again. Come on guy be serious otherwise you be chased away like a dog. Kasendeni icikombe mwebana ba Zambia.
PIKE
October 31, 2011 at 10:56 am
kalu na renarnd mukaponoka ngatwalusa.
OG
October 31, 2011 at 11:32 am
We need Andrew Sinkala in the midfield.I think he can hold the ball for us well
Jac mumba
October 31, 2011 at 12:14 pm
i don’t know if people at football house has got ears because i doubt if these people will call sinkala to the national team. I doubt if sinkala and Herve consolidated their differences, otherwise no future for sinkala. we need sinkala in the midfield as well as Clifford mulenga
copperbelt chipolopolo soccer fan
October 31, 2011 at 1:39 pm
we need to prepare the team adequately and offer the players incentives for each game up to the finals. kalu please consider the fans in your plans they play a big role in modern football.
Osa Bauza
October 31, 2011 at 2:12 pm
Wanu Ngwee tawakwata amano, How can you talk about Milanzi in this era. the chap is old and if we need a fast pace football then Milanzi definately has no place in the national team any more. Sinkala can be invited we have no problem looking at the level of competition in the bundesliga.
man T
October 31, 2011 at 4:21 pm
milanzi nakula bane we have good players who can do better.fox plz think of sinkala becoz u need a natural defensive midfilder.
Sobelenge
October 31, 2011 at 4:37 pm
I agree with you ze bigi on Renard being a gud fitness coach. In the last nations cup, zed was de fitest team @de tournament but a lack if technique (finishing as well as defending) was at the core of our demise. I ope Renard reads these posts n picks up some ideas.
He is a gud coach.
Now lets get cracking so that we can out fox all group n tournament opposition.
Kalok
October 31, 2011 at 7:09 pm
Lets move forward. Going backwards can only work in politics, not sport. The younger you are in sport usually the better. I suspect Milanzi has gone beyond his sale-by date in terms of performance. We still have talent we can grow besides!
desparado
November 2, 2011 at 1:20 pm
WE NEED SOMEONE ELSE WIT DE QUALITY OF RAINFORD
WE SHOULD TRY OUT CLIFFORD THIS TIME AROUND TO HAVE AN EFFECTIVE ATTACKING APPROACH TO SUPPLY MBESUMA AND JACOB UPFRONT. I ALSO AGREE TO CALL SINKALA