Zambia have started the Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a not so inspiring but fair 1 – 1 draw against northern neighbours Congo DR (DRC).
In a game Zambia did more defending than attacking, the Chipolopolo scored the fastest goal of the tournament so far after DRC based striker Given Singuluma, who played in midfield, curled home from the edge of the area on 62 seconds.
However, Zambia seemed content to sit back and play on the break for most parts of the game and could have paid heavily soon after going ahead when some lacklustre defending saw Emmanuel Mbola beaten clean at the corner flag for the DRC winger to curl in a tame ball which was spilled in the path of Dieumerci Mbokani, by an otherwise agile Mweene, but for the DRC striker to shoot over the bar when it seemed easier to score.
DRC continued to take the initiative in the game and curved out the better chances in the game but their wasteful strikers continued to fluff their lines.
Coach Honour Janza, however, will be happy with the way his team responded under pressure as they pressed DRC high up the pitch and were quick to cover their spaces but will be concerned at how much space was given in the midfield to eventual goal scorer Yannick Bolasie who dictated the pace of the game at will.
Zambia will have Mweene to thank for some point blank saves he pulled off which included an outstanding stop using his legs when Bolasie had broken loose after dispossessing Kalaba in the midifield in the 18th minute.
Zambia also came close through captain Rainford Kalaba whose free-kick goalkeeper Robert Kidiaba failed to handle but had to punch away.
In the second half, DRC continued to press but their pressure only paid off in the 66th minute when Emmanuel Mbola was caught in possession after he dithered on the ball for Bolasie to shoot past Mweene after he was played in space by his fellow striker.
With Chipolopolo struggling to make an impact in the final third of the pitch, Emmanuel Mayuka who had a stale game gave way for Evans Kangwa in the 66th minute who showed flashes of quality but hardly tested Kidiaba.
Zambia will go into the next match on Thursday with injury concerns to Nathan Sinkala and Ronald Kampamba who were both stretched off and were replaced by Chris Munthali (82 minutes) and Mukuka Mulenga (73rd minute) respectively.
There were also bookings for Stopilla Sunzu and Nathan Sinkala in the game.
Zambia XI v Congo DR: 16 . Kennedy Mweene 6.Davies Nkausu 18.Emmanuel Mbola 14.Kondwani Mtonga 13. Stopilla Sunzu 19. Nathan Sinkala (Chris Munthali) 15.Given Singuluma 3.Chisamba Lungu 17. Rainford Kalaba (C) 9 . Ronald Kampamba (Mukuka Mulenga) 20. Emmanuel Mayuka (Evans Kangwa)
DRC XI vs Zambia:
1 Robert Kidiaba 2 Issama Mpeko 17 Cédric Mongongu 15 Joel Kimwaki 3 Jean Kasusula, 22 Chancel Mbemba 7 Youssouf Mulumbu 8 Hervé Kage 21 Firmin Mubele 9 Dieumerci Mbokani, 11 Yannick Bolasie.
cape verde n tunisia will go home. Zambia is going in the quarters.
A let the kids come back this is just the waste of money.Useless coach we have best players in the country who can white wash this Congo team.Not baletusebanya abena Janza amano ukutu
Watching cape verde v tunisia, zambia and congo will qualify
Zambia will not make it to the next stage
zambia had nothing going foward. kept pumping the ball forward. some of our players look small and malnourished. sate sate i insist is not afcon material. the workrate of cris katongo and felix and isaac are been missed in the middle.
Watching Cape Verde and Tunisia. Both teams seem head and shoulders above Zambia and Congo tactically. If we are going to beat them, we will have to improve our shape. Congo definitely have the better individual talent. Kalaba needs to be given more of the ball if we are to see him at his best.
ghanains please dont throw stones while in a glass house.yo two top players wont play tomorrow and senegal will tear u apart.
we have capable replacements
A fool indeed. Talk about our game & stop being the ZAMBIAN ambassador to Ghana. Let us mind our own business. You do not seem to have self respect
Also agree with Billy on the midfield. Need Sinkala to get some support in the form of Mtonga or Munthali.
Zambia has got 3 yellow cards not two, Singuluma also received a yellow card.
I have never watched a boring like this one. And I blame Janza not the Players. The system he used was useless. If he uses the same system against tunisia, we will be destroyd. There wAs nothing gud our boys did.
Do we need any more evidence that Janza is a naive and inexperienced coach? The formation with 3 strikers exposes the midfield. Sinkala was outnumbered in midfield. Kalaba should have been substituted much earlier because he was quiet the entire second half. Do we need more evidence that Kalaba is not captain material? How does a captain become anonymous in a match when he’s needed to rally his troops? Kalaba and Lungu continued to stay wide even when our midfield was being overrun in the middle. Ronald Kampamba was totally ineffective and is another one who should have been taken off earlier. It would have been better to bring on Mukuka Mulenga in midfield to assist Sinkala. Janza used the same formation he used throughout the qualifiers and I do not see him changing it. We are doomed to make an early exit because Zambia will not beat any team with that 4-1-2-3 formation we’re using.
Tunisia 1 CVD 1
the most boring game
I was insulted last week when i told people here that the small boys were no going to do anything. They struggled against the physically imposing Congolese. Tunisia will eat them alive in the next game!
The best result the small boys can come up with against Tunisia is a draw. They can’t beat Tunisia. Some of the small boys are DEAD sacred when they here the name Tunisia!
Kekekekekeke-i was looking forward to your comment. But truth be told that singling out only certain players isnt in our best interest as the entire team failed save for Sunzu, Mtonga, Mweene and Nkausu (only Mbola was weak in defence). Our midfield was more porius than water downstream in a flood. Mayuka tried a bit, Sate again misplaced at 10 was lost.
I am disgusted to say the least by the negative comments after zambia just held one of the best teams at this tournament. Tunisia is nowhere near the class of Congo Dr. Congo has far much better quality in europe and that coupled by the fact that they have some of the most powerful clubs in africa like mazembe and vita did you honestly expect a walk over? As far as I’m concerned this drc team is better than the Ghana team they have taken to this afcon. On paper drc has better quality than Ghana. If you have players at West Bromwich, crystal palace, dynamo kiev, ossasuna, anderlecht, etc are you weak? What were you expecting zambia to do. Go and ask pathetic Renard how he was butchered by Congo in ivory coast.
I agree with you John. I see DRC going very far in this tournament. We could have lost the game by 3 or 4 -1. Zambia should improve in the next game.
Kkkkkkkk John you’re talking some sense right there, I like the way you’ve changed your attitude recently.
In the next game, Kangwa should start ahead of Kampamba. In my opinion, Kangwa can do better than Kampamba. We also need another extra man in the middle of the pack. We need to play with two defensive midfielders. I am not sure if Sinkala will be fit for the next game as he limped off and this is a source of worry for us. We need to be compact and fight for the ball and attack. If we are to make up for our small stature, we need pace. The likes of Kalaba and Chisamba need to up their game. As for Mayuka, the lack of game time is really showing. The guy is not just up to it. Its all square in Group B. Lets see the next games.
Like i,ve always said Kangwa ahead of Sate (only needs last 30mins)
I would rather see Evans Kangwa play Kampamba upfront. Not the ineffective Mayuka who doesn’t show an ounce that he plays in the English premier league. Sate Sate is not a number 10 and we will waste him if we play him at Number 10. Given equally is not a midfielder he should be pushe higher up the field
The team failed to stamp authority on the match… why did Given play in midfield? And Mbola on the right with Nkausu also switching? We need to have midfielders who can keep and distribute the ball…lack of distribution made Sate Sate a passenger and making the defense to play under pressure. There wasn’t much wing play and this allowed DRC to keep going forward. They had nothing to fear.