2013 Zambian Football Calender At a Glance

By Bolazambia
2013 was by any standards a difficult year for Zambian football. Coming off the back of an Africa Cup winning performance in 2012 the Zambian game hit something of an anti climax that started with a 2013 first round Africa Cup elimination the first time for any champion since 1990.

A lot of theories were peddled as to the possible reasons for failure but it was always going to come down to failing to replicate the dizzying levels hit in the Gabon/Equatorial Guinea tournament. The more radical ones even suggested that the spirits of the Gabon setting for the deceased 1993 team were missing in South Africa. Zambia however did leave an impression off the pitch with Herve Renard’s lovable quotes captivating the football family with his CAF not thinking Zambia ‘sexy’ enough to play the Confederations Cup being one for the archives.

Overall whatever was said three draws including one against Sewnet Bishaw’s noisy Ethiopia fell short of expectations.
There was a well intended quick dust off to focus on the World Cup qualifications that were a distance ahead with Lesotho lying in wait in March before back to back return leg fixtures against Lesotho and Sudan in June at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.
Having chalked off three free points from Sudan after the North Africans used an ineligible player in a game they beat the Chipolopolo 2-0 in Cairo there was a sense of possibility in the Zambian camp. But once they trekked to Maseru in March after a month long camp in South Africa there was no upturn of fortunes for the fast declining side as they ended up recording a 1-all draw that ensured the free points counted almost for nothing at this stage.
But at this stage the once upon a time confident Herve Renard had gotten to pulling excuses at every failure and promised the two June fixtures would restore Zambia’s advantage by which time Ghana was trailing Zambia by a point.
Fast forward to June 2 and Zambia seemed to have got it right when they humbled minnows Lesotho by a 4-0 margin and everyone thought the Chipolopolo were back in business only to spectacularly come short days later with a 1-all draw against Sudan at which stage a very business minded Ghana took top spot after recording wins in all their games except their 1-0 loss to Zambia.
The chaos that characterized the build up to the final qualifying march in Kumasi both in terms of preparation and reception is a well told story. But everyone knew by the time Zambia was getting to Kumasi they had already compromised their position. Nothing to do with Ghana but Zambia itself and with that marked yet another failed attempt.
In between the grief Zambia had a Cosafa Cup victory as they beat Zimbabwe 2-0 at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium on July 20 to at least lend something to the locals to show for their support in the 2013 campaign.
Hosting the Cosafa for Zambia was also a build up from the country’s hosting the 2012 Zone VI games as the country continues to enhance its tournament hosting credentials.
Maybe that may have been rewarded by the country being granted the rights to host the 2019 CAF Under-20 championships. This alongside the Under-17 women qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Costa Rica is bolazambia.com’s highlights of 2013. The Cosafa victory was done a great disservice when the team failed to qualify for the 2014 African Nations Championships (CHAN) after having recorded a 0-all draw away in Harare in the first leg many thought, it was in the bag.
There was also a chance memorable friendly by the Chipolopolo against record five time world champions Brazil in China that Zambia honorably lost 2-0. Who would forget the drama surrounding the availability of the TP Mazembe stars in Rainford Kalaba, Stoppilla Sunzu and Nathan Sinkala with government having confiscated their passports amidst the chaos? Of course along the way the fox left to take up an appointment at French Ligue1 outfit Sochaux amidst a whirlwind statements including the declaration by a certain Chishimba Kambwili that, “Renard is staying whether you like it or not. Period! Coming from a man who had again stunned the nation with the disaster of a name for the newly constructed Lusaka Stadium, there could only be comedy in his pronouncements. Gabon Disaster Memorial Stadium was what Kambwili called the magnificent structure but thank God for discourse it was aptly renamed Heroes Stadium. Overall 2013 in the words of one Lady Thatcher could be as close to any disaster you could ever have or to caught her correctly “Annus horribilis”. But of course locally the Zambian league added another flavour or is it favour as noisy side of Kitwe added yet another title and made it 13 crowns! It was not easy as it went to the wire but Masautso Mwale& inspired an otherwise average crop of players to an extraordinary feat to fly the Zambian flag in familiar continental territory for Nkana!

Who could forget the new captain of the Chipolopolo ship Patrice Beaumelle? Not too much to say so far given there is no head coach contract yet but some will say the CECAFA Cup bronze deserves space. Not just yet.

Posted by Editor on December 28, 2013. Filed under SPORTS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry