NO LONGER ON IDLING, A GAME CHANGER IS IN!

Idling means running a vehicle engine when it is not in motion, a common misconception which still exists even in the present era. The idling misconception is traced in the last couple of decades when it was useful by then when carburetors lacked electronic fuel injection system hence the need to be warmed up to make the engine’s combustion process very efficient, unlike present days when all vehicles have electronic fuel injection system with sensors that allow cylinders to carry out combustion effective making idling unnecessary present.

Idling a vehicle is costly, better to restart the engine, and does not only waste fuel, but it also strips oil from critical components that help the engine. It is also more prone to failure in high temperatures which idling does as it increases the temperature.

CHIPOLOPOLO AND IDLING

The Zambia national team has been on idling, it was hoped that the misconception will work to its favor. Since the departure of Herve Renard two time AFCON winning coach in 2013, Zambia has never hired a permanent coach to take charge of the reigns.

Let’s now break it down we see how this has been like for the senior Chipolopolo.

It was believed that Zambia was going to hire another permanent coach soon following the departure of Renard hence putting it on idling in readiness to be in motion soon. What it needed was a person with the proper idea coupled with a better understanding of how to go about it.

Some people will say it was switched off? Not it wasn’t switched off hence it didn’t require to be restarted as it continued taking part in matches but it didn’t achieve what it achieved with the permanent previous predecessor in the name of Herve Renard thereby stopping to be in motion.

With Renard Zambia managed to qualify for the 2010 AFCON reaching quarter-finals bowing out at the hands of the Super Eagles of Nigeria with another permanent manager Dario Bonetti taking it to 2012 AFCON after which Renard took charge as a permanent coach, winning the trophy followed by another qualification in 2013 where the Chipolopolo drew all group matches

In 2015 with a caretaker coach Honor Janza Zambia qualified were it drew two matches and losing one failing to beat what the permanent coach achieved who at least in his failing time could draw all matches. As if the 2015 misery was not enough, Zambia missed the next two AFCON tournaments.

The point here is that Zambia senior national team has not done anything progressive on the globe since 2013 with caretaker coaches despite continued participation in matches hence making it not to be in motion, it has been on idling.

EFFECTS OF ZAMBIA BEING ON IDLING

1)WASTED TIME; if the Chipolopolo wasn’t put on idling, it wouldn’t have gone back of trying to rebuild the team as it the case now, as everyone knows that if an iron machine is not oiled and used it develop rust thereby reducing its work efficiency. Zambia is now trying to re-oil its iron machine and remove rust to get back to its glory days. It’s in the building phase which requires time, all caused by the time it was not in motion which made it to have rust which was a period wasting.

2)LOST REVENUE; Zambia between 2012-2015 made a lot of money from gate takings and replica sells and in present days those numbers in terms of attendance and sales of replicas have gone down thus making football house to lose out on some revenue.

3)DIFFICULT TO GET BACK TO GLORY DAYS; the starter motor for the national team is in the intensive care unit (ICU), it is prone to failure. Zambia has found it difficult to find a permanent team (key) to put in the ignition.

Zambia needed to quickly find a permanent coach after the departure of Herve Renard so that the engine doesn’t stay on idling for long. In modern days, football has changed and there are no more underdogs, so if a team fails to quickly find a replacement for the technical bench they get to trail behind for long as others get to progress and cover a lot of miles, a gap difficult to shorten within a short time.

Zambian opponents who were trailing it behind have cruised past it and those who were already above it have gone the extra miles. It is now doing catch-ups.

A GAME CHANGER!

The Football Association of Zambia with the help of the government of the Republic of Zambia through the embassy of Serbia has hired the Serbian wolf in the name of Milutin Sredojevic abbreviated as Micho with more than 20 years of working experience in the appointed field.

Let’s pick out one of what his CV contains, Uganda was in the same boots as Zambia at some point, failing to qualify for AFCON for 39 years. It took the services of Micho for them to come out of misfortunes, he made them qualify for the 2017 AFCON after spending 39 years on idling. Zambia has decided to take the same path which Uganda took by bringing the experienced gaffer to its technical bench with the hope that it will pay.

HIS THE ELECTRONIC FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

Micho understands African football having spent much time on the continent and has coached top nations and clubs in the modern era making him the modern carburetor combined with sensors that allow cylinders to carry out combustion effective as he has come with a modern technical bench comprising of his assistant and goalkeeper coach who all understand modern football techniques.

HE NEEDS TIME!

After repairing or servicing the vehicle, the mechanical take it for a road test to measure its efficiency before it is certified fit to be back on the road again. It is risky for a mechanic who has vast experience in his field to quantify the vehicle fit for the road without taking it for a road test and it’s unprofessional.

Micho is an experienced coach who knows well the task ahead of him, He is a person who has been in such a situation before with the cranes of Uganda. He knows how to re-oil machines. He knows the components a vehicle needs to get back on the road, he knows what comes first in the process of rebuilding a team.

Zambia is in a difficult situation, a situation that will require time in trying to understands its go about. Zambia has been on the sinking side for years and you can’t expect a person to make a turn round of events in a few months. They say it takes longer to build than to destroy, Zambia has been sinking for years so an immediate change of events in just a few months is almost impossible.

It will take a year or years to come up with a formidable side again because Micho will have to fix the vehicle and get it for road test so that he sees where it needs adjustments, so expect the vehicle to be on the road and in the garage a couple of times. When it’s seen on the road, it will not mean it has been certified fit. It will be an on-road test maybe. This means when the Chipolopolo win a couple of games likely it won’t justify that it is back to old glory days, it might find itself on the losing side at some point before it fully comes out with guns blazing

Zambia has already lost two games for the Cameroon AFCON qualifiers and lies bottom with no point, the chances of it qualifying are slim. Micho has come in hoping to fix the team in time so that it qualifies for the next afcon edition but it’s a daunting task. Should he fail to qualify, he should be judged fairly by looking from all angles.

The best judgment for micho will be the world cup qualifiers as it will be a neutral field, he will have full control of the charge as Zambia has not played any world cup qualifier match. Should progress be seen in how he will execute his duty in the next few matches, then he should be given more time than he has been given as building requires more time

HE NEEDS SUPPORT

Micho needs support from all football stakeholders including fans, too much criticism depletes energy levels. Where he has done well, all Zambians should congratulate him as thanking builds confidence. Where he has gotten it wrong, he should be criticized nicely in a respectful way by not quickly asking for his head and not interfering with his job. Everyone should understand the process.

Micho also needs to understand the wish of all Zambians and work to their expectations, he needs to focus on his work and work out his chemistry perfectly in the lab.

If the coach, players, fans and all stakeholders involved work together then in the next few years the Chipolopolo will become a force to reckon with. Everyone should support each other and work to the interest of the other. Football is an entertainment, not sorrow field.