Congo U23 3-3 Zambia U23 [Agg: 4-5]
Zambia Under-23 qualified to the Egypt 2019 CAF U23 African Cup of Nations on Sunday afternoon via a 5-4 aggregate win over Congo.
Red Bull Salzburg duo Enoch Mwepu and Patson Daka scored the vital goals to earn the Dream Team a 3-3 draw against Congo.
The Zambian lads went into the game with a delicate 2 – 1 lead and the technical bench was clearly not impressed with the display and they rang four changes to the start eleven. Prosper Chiluya, Ngosa Sunzu, Field Nkandela and Lameck Banda were given starting berths ahead of Kebson Kamanga, Emmanuel Banda, Ghamphani Lungu and Kings Kangwa.
The Beston Chambeshi coached lads were holding up well but were unfortunate when the Gabonese referee handling the game awarded a dubious penalty to the hosts. Both the Zambian players and the Congolese players were proceeding with the game he called back play pointing to the spot for what seemed a fair challenge amidst protests from the young Chipolopolo.
The match was delayed for about five minutes as the Zambian technical bench talked to the players to get back on the pitch to have the penalty taken. Mbenza stepped up and converted from the spot in the 26th minute.
The boys looked unfazed by the unfortunate development and they pulled one back seven minutes later when Patson Daka brilliantly laid a Prosper Chiluya pass into the path of Enock Mwepu who finished from inside the box with his first touch.
The visitors continued looking comfortable and took the lead in the 51st minute when Daka’s volley came off the ground to beat the Congolese keeper.
However, the Zambian had a low three minutes when they conceded two goals in the 77th and 80th minute. Mangani Banda seemed to have stopped a ball played quickly in the box but he was dispossessed by the sliding striker Jacques Temopele who reacted quickly to finish from a tight angle at the near post. Congo restored the lead when they a well taken shot from outside the box by Tomepele caught Mangani in goal by surprise as he remained rooted to his position.
At this stage, the Congolese were throwing everything at Zambia as they only needed a goal to secure passage. However, a moment of brilliance from Mwepu in the 86th minute so him eliminate his marker in the midfield to charge into the box before completing a one-two with Daka which he finished off to secure Zambia’s passage to the Egypt finals.
Unfortunately for Zambia, Fashion Sakala was sent to the stands from the bench for what seemed to be dissent.
Zambia will join seven other teams including hosts Egypt at the U23 Africa Cup of Nations finals where the top three teams will qualify to the 2020 Olympics. The Zambian team is the first to qualify and will await results from the rest of the qualifiers billed for Tuesday as follows:
10.09.2019 Bulawayo Zimbabwe vs South Africa (0-5)
10.09.2019 Setif Algeria vs Ghana (1-1)
10.09.2019 Tunis Tunisia vs Cameroon (0-1)
10.09.2019 Conakry Guinea vs Cote d’Ivoire (1-0)
10.09.2019 Asaba Nigeria vs Sudan (0-1)
10.09.2019 Bamako Mali vs Morocco (1-1)
ZAMBIA STARTING XI
1. Mangani Banda, 13. Shemmy Mayembe, 3. Prosper Chiluya, 2. Moses Nyondo, 5. Solomon Sakala, 19. Ngosa Sunzu, 14. Field Kandela, 11. Enock Mwepu, 7. Lameck Banda, 10. Fashion Sakala (Kings Kangwa 58′), 20. Patson Daka
SUBSTITUTES
16. Charles Muntanga, 4. Kebson Kamanga, 9. Gamphani Lungu, 12. Emmanuel Banda, 8. Harrison Chisala, 15. Biston Banda, 17. Kings Kangwa
This team is but it needs a better coach coz they can score but fail to maintain a lead it means there is a problem. Our defense is very weak which one Silver fails to see. This team will go far once we get a better coach competent enough to solidify the defense
I conquer with chindika
Chabeshi is a better coach at this level especially for this team that he has built himself. At this stage the competition was just tough and much more they were playing away from home. This team will go very far with the right support. Congratulations dream team!!!
@ CJ from SA finally someone who understands this team. The players and their coach are inseparable. Bring in another person & see how things will fall apart….. We need to give credit where it’s due. With all the limitations the boys may have in terms of poor coordination in defence is due to the limited moments the U23 teams have to play together. THIS IS AS PERFECT AN AFRICAN TEAM CAN GET AT THIS LEVEL…..
You have a point, I truly believe that once we bring in another coach, things will become a little bit bad.
The talent is there but needs better mentors than the current bunch
You’ve lifted our hearts up again after the senseless xenophobic attacks in that country again. Congratulations Zambia, let FAZ begin preparations ASAP,we need a ticket for Tokyo Olympic Games.
FAZ should show the lads some appreciation by organising a proper training camp for the majority of home based players since the boys playing abroad may not be readily available until a week or two before meeting the host in the opening game ?
I HAVE ALWAYS SAID BESTON CHAMBESHI KNOWS HOW TO COACH THE TEAM, GIVEN CHANCE TO DO SO FOR THE SENIOR CHIPOLOPOLO TEAM HE CAN COME UP WITH THE BEST TEAM TO QUALIFY US TO THE WORLD CUP FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE BEST COACH IS ONE WHO CAN HAVE A TEAM WHICH CAN WIN AN AWAY GAME. IT IS NOT EASY. I SALUTE YOU COACH BESTON CHAMBESHI FOR THE JOB WELL DONE. HE HAS JUST A WEAKNESS IN DEFENSE. WORK ON THAT WEAKNESS COACH, LOVE YOU. APOSTLE EMMANUEL MWAPE MULENGA, LUWINGU DISTRICT, NORTHERN ZAMBIA.
Zambia drawn in Group A
Egypt have been handed a tough draw as they bid to reach the men’s Olympic football tournament for a twelfth time in Brazil next year.
They will face Algeria, Mali and Nigeria in Group B of the Africa Under-23 Cup of Nations in Senegal from 28 November to 12 December.
Hosts Senegal will play South Africa, Zambia and Tunisia in Group A.
Senegal vs Zambia
????♂️?? game with mixed emotions.
S.Africa vs. Zambia
Cosafa derby! We have got this….??
Zambia vs. Tunisia
Like Senegal this is a tricky opponent.
However we should be able to qualify to the next round from this game.
Where did you get this??? Algeria and Tunisia didn’t qualify??
Where did you get those draws, Algeria and Tunisia have not qualified
Consistency pays! This is the only team I have seen in a while that has been together for a long time from the technical bench to the players. This qualification doesn’t surprise me at all rather it proves to all of us what consistency can do. This bunch won the AFCON U20 & their progression has seen them excel at U23 hopefully they can mature into the senior chipolopolo team one day.
This team at under20 level reached the quarter finals of the under20 World Cup making them to be among the 8 best under20 players in the whole world
Best under20 teams
We need new additions in defence. Most of the current defenders are bench warmers at their respective clubs.
@chindika popeye: always pessimistic you are the kind of bloggers with a caveman mentality of always trying to break down instead of building. One thing you must understand is that in soccer you always have an opponent with maybe superb players or not so when you criticize please be realistic. Whether Chambeshi is not a good Coach the fact is He delivered I am for one I am not a fan of Chambeshi but to tell you the truth He delivers.
It’s because you people don’t like being told the truth, when they lose that’s when you want to talk it’s better we voice out now so that the defense which we all know that it wasn’t in chambeshi’s syllabus in coaching school can be resolved before we enter the tournament. Yes the team is good but why do they keep leaking goals every time they play?
Yes it is true the defence and goalkeeping area need to be looked into. It was the same keeper who let in that free kick at under20 World Cup Vs Italy. It was out side the goal area and far from the goal but the let it fly in
FAZ arrange friendly games with teams in Group B I. e Algeria and Mali
I was checking Cafonline.com website. They saying Fashion Sakala was sent off on 77 minutes after receiving his second yellow card, Is it Fashion or Solomon Sakala the Captain?
It means the boys played the last 13 minutes plus added time with 10 men. The fought a tough and rough battle and prevailed. Well done boys i have no doubt in these boys ability to attack but the defense and Keeper lack discipline. The Congolese were exposed because they had to attack.
When these boys go on the offense they are unstoppable.
He was sent off from the bench
It the tournament in Egypt or Senegal?
Egypt are the hosts. Zambia should get one of the 3 tickets to Tokyo.