Friday, February 7, 2025

Blog: The battle for Zambia’s Chan ‘Pivot’ hots up

It’s game on tomorrow as Zambia and Zimbabwe battle it out in CHAN 2016 Group D opening match.

Over the weekend the ZamFoot Crew revealed the probable Back4 including the goalkeeper who is likely to start. 

Zambia coach George ‘Chicken’ Lwandamina is likely to go with favoured 4-2-3-1 formation. Thats how Lwandamina’s teams tends to play.

With that in mind, Zamfoot Crew will go with three midfielders.

Holding Midfielder – The Pivot: Jack Chirwa, Benson Sakala, Salulani Phiri, Adrian Chama, Donashamo Malama.

The experiment to play Adrian Chama in midfield didn’t work out. But after he was dropped back in defence he looked at home.

Before the Under-23 Championship in Senegal it could have been a straight call and many could have tipped Jack Chirwa but for now its between Benson Sakala and Salulani Phiri.

There’s debate as to who is better among the three and most local fans will go with Chirwa but the Green Buffaloes man is not mobile enough to play in midfield. He is the next Stopilla Sunzu.

Salulani has a good range of passing and he spreads his passes well compared to the combative Sakala. It’s a close tie but the Zanaco man is likely to get the nod ahead of the Power Dynamos midfield general.

At one training session, Salulani even partner Chris Katongo upfront and he just didn’t click.

Box to Box Midfielder: Isaac Chansa, Benson Sakala, Spencer Sautu, Jack Chirwa

Lwandamina tried a midfield three of Adrian Chama, Benson and Chansa during training at Nkoloma Stadium and it didn’t work. with Benson as the box to box midfielder while Chansa in the no.10.

Green Eagles’ Spencer Sautu could play as a no.8 but at international level he has been mostly used on the flanks.

Jack Chirwa played in this position against Kenya in the AFCON qualifiers.

The combative Benson Sakala is competing with Salulani Phiri as Zambia's Pivot
The combative Benson Sakala is competing with Salulani Phiri as Zambia’s Pivot

…..AND this leaves Chansa for the box to box midfield. During training the ‘Zambian Gattuso’ looked fitter than most of the veterans in the squad. Surprisingly he last played for Zanaco in a league game in late August.

Continental no.10 midfielder: Spencer Sautu, Isaac Chansa, Mwape ‘Tozizi’ Mwelwa

Two of the members of the ZamFoot Crew would love Sautu deployed in this position and not on the left wing but he has stiff competition.

But Irfan Kawri was making the starting XI, Zesco United duo Mwape ‘Tozizi’ Mwelwa and Clatus Chama wouldn’t even have made the final 23. For the week, they spent at Nkoloma Stadium, they lacked fitness and hopefully they have regained.

ZamFoot Verdict: Salulani as  the pivot [no.6] while Chansa as the box to box midfielder [no.8] with Tozizi in the hole [no.10]

 

When ‘Tozizi’ was at Red Arrows a few years ago, the ZamFoot Crew raved about this lad. Last season he was there computer.

With regards to Chansa playing in the hole, it has never just worked for him for Zambia. During his spells at Orlando Pirates, Chansa scored thunderbolts from that position.

When Lwandamina tried him in that position during training, he dropped to deep looking for the ball and hence leaving the lone striker isolated.

The verdict is on Tozizi to start.

 

 

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10 Comments

  1. Jacob shud start in goal malama & kabamba shud play on right & left back, muntali & chilufya central defence, mtonga, sautu & chansa in midfield, chris, chama, & luchanga or mwelwa. other players shud come in as a sub. we can go very far or even win the championship.

  2. This tournament is crap. Perhaps maybe it can be used to sell a few boys to Europe other than that it’s useless. I don’t see zambia winning it. It will be won by Congo Dr or another serious nation with strong clubs. Zambia is no longer a giant on this continent.

  3. every team has a chance of wining this championship not just becoz they hv good clubs in their country no, most of their clubs they hv professional players in their books, e.g clubs like Tp mazembe, Cs sfaxien, As vita, Club african, Etoile dusahel, Coton sport, Sewe sport, Orando pirates, Alhly, Zamalek, Raja casablanca, Es setif, Djoliba, Mamelodi sundowns, Ac leopards, etc. go! zambia go! we can do it. lets surport the team.

  4. this is gud zamfoot, bt hw abt our defence 4 – 5 chama, mfune, munthali ed george wich one works well. One thing i hv also seen is the misuse of sautu, this guy wth a proper coach he is our next box to box midfielder

  5. My starting XI, Jacob Banda(GK), Dauti Musekwa, Stephen Kabamba, Adrian Chama, Buchizya Mfune forming the back four. Salulani Phiri(holding midfield). Mwila Phiri and Cletus Chama in the wings. Isaac Chansa as a box to box attacking midfielder. Mwape Mwelwa playing in the hole as a supporting striker to Katongo. In the second half you bring in Conlyde Luchanga and Spencer Sautu. It is unfortunate we don’t have many quality attacking options on the bench, we have to many defensive minded players. GO ZAMBIA GOAL!!!!

  6. Playing Zim in Zim is always tough. I wonder how Zim fairs against Zambia way from home in all competitions? I’m thinking/hoping 2-0 Zambia with Isaac Chansa as MOTM.

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