Zambia on Saturday played to a goalless draw against Guinea Bissau in the opening match of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
Zambianfootball.co.zm’s Coach Franklyn shares an analysis of the game below.
The result was very much avoidable if we had all things in the right place.
FAZ’s timing of firing and hiring a coach is a matter for another day and this has been debated on this forum for over a month. It was obvious a decision this late would cost us dearly as some contended and to some extent they where right.
Back to the match, from the start in as much as it is good to play on the base of two midfielders, the choice of personnel was incorrect as both Nathan Sinkala and Kondwani Mtonga are more of the same player which translates in playing 2 for 1 and getting the services that amount to one and not 2.
The desirable qualities of two base midfielders is that one should be the combative type (Hard Man) while the other should be a ball carrier with an edge of creativity. Sinkala and Kondwani are both man markers and are not as creative which effectively makes one a passenger.
If you are going to play with a lone striker like Coach George ‘Chicken’ Lwandamina did on Sunday going with Patson Daka, you have to knock the ball onto him and have runners joining in the attack.
That did not happen as Given Singuluma was flat. Equally the idea of pumping the long ball to Rainford Kalaba couldn’t work as he was only having one person to aim at in the box, Singuluma (Central Attacking Midfielder) and either Sinkala or Mtonga (Central Midfielder) were supposed to be providing the overload in the box once the ball goes wide but that was not equally done which effectively rendered that failing tactic of long balls to Kalaba ineffective.
PLAN B?? The team did not have Plan B, Lwandamina only made changes but making changes does not necessarily mean change of approach. Guinea Bissau were not threatening so it was pointless to still maintain a 4-2-3-1 arrangement. Alternatively even before making the changes we should have gone to a 3-4-3. Dropping Mtonga to play with Katebe and Munthali at the back. Push Chongo and Mbola to Play high like wing backs together with Sinkala and say Chisamba in the middle as ‘mid 4’.. Front 3 being Kalaba, Daka and Fwayo/Lubambo.
Daka couldn’t play alone, he needed someone to giving him close support on either of his sides. We could have managed playing a back three because Guinea Bissau had a lone striker who could not threaten throughout the match.
Playing four in the Middle would have helped us play ‘Box to Box’ and open up the opponent’s middle which looked shaky.
A front three could have helped us have more people to aim at in the box with carpet play as the West Africans were taller and the idea of long crosses didn’t and wouldn’t have helped.
In all it is a wake-up call both administratively and to the technical bench.
We have enough time to prepare for the next match!!!!
Between now and the next Afcon qualifier surely a coach can be employed either local or expatriate.The next game is in September. With our FAZ Katwishi Mayo.
FAZ hire a new expatriate coach now no need to delay if we are going to make it out of these qualifiers.
Spot on on all the points raised Zamfoot only disagree with you on”wake up call” to both Faz and the Technical bench,honestly how many of those are we going to have for cry out loud for things to change ,coach Frankllyn?
The game we saw yesterday spoke volumes about inability of our coaches not to read opponents play and employ a workable plan.Those guys never threated us the entire 90 mins,i see no reason why patsom daka was pavked alone with no one to supply balls to him. He looked lost especially that he still young.kalaba got tired and i dont undstand why kenedy Mwene should be given the no 1 jersey when he does nt command regular place at his club. If mwene was avoided in the first place he could have not taken that penalty. He has put on alot of wait and thats ehy he excuted a penalty in that manner. we need an expatrient coach and faz should improve the way they say tickets. We cant be buying tickets from the call boys.Shame ba Faz.
If you drew with a team like Guinea Bissau then something is terribly wrong with Zambia.Trial and error will not assist us in this qualifying matches.Lwandamila and Janza are not the right coaches to coach Zambia and they are just fit to coach the Zambian local clubs which also perform dismally on the continental club level.A proper coach must be appointed immediately to ensure Zambian progression to the next round.
Hmmm, well that was an error but its not terrible to play 2 defensive midfielders. At least the team was focussed in covering if need be, against Ethopia at afcon 2013 the team was not focussed in this department. I would rather Zambia played conservatively before throwing themselves wildly like we did at afcon 2015.
Agree there was no plan b, and also offensive line up and strategy was the biggest weakness and let down.
The next match will even be worse. I have no faith in the national team, local coaches and football administrators anymore.
Kalu is operating like witchcraft . He is coaching Zambia with a remote control from his base in sa .those coaches they are being told what do. Nothing have changed we are still using the same players , same team selection criteria . It hurts to hear that kalu does not value inform kola . Employ a white coach and the whole shit will be exposed .
Its better we don’t qualify so tht we take the rebuilding process seriously than qualify nd embarrass ourselves wit another first round exit and go bac 2 the overdrawn drawing board.
Yes, the drawing board is overdrawn & there are marks that cannot be erased.
Please bring Chris Katongo back to instil some sanity into the team.
Ba Mulenga plizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, Xris’s time is gone, even when Xris came into the fray in 2006 we didnt discard him and go back kubena Mwape Miti, Masauso Tembo, D.Lota (MHSRIP) etc. Last time i checked the same Xris has flopped at Wits just like Mulenga at Ajax (that some circles like calling for-by the way he like Bruce Musakanya was once my favourite but I had to accept that they were not meant to last for Zambia).
What i saw on Saturday:
1-Like the Guniea Bissau coach said, I was of the same view that they were tactically better than us using their (average 85.6kg using the Dennis Liwewe estimation tactic) weight and height (1.86m vs our 1.67m) advantage to ours (55.47kg) which they used to great effect-forcing us to play only diagonal passes and aerial balls, closing spaces but for Kalaba’s wing.
2-Lwandamina worsened the situation by denying our team creativity (Chisamba, Lubambo, Fwayo to a lesser extent or even Deco who was out of bench) and noted scorers Mayuka and Sate (who always scores in such games as he’s the best bet for defence splitting movements) but it was nicing seeing the next best striker Patson. Given has now been rewarded enough for being spurned earlier and needs to call mother time on his Chipolopolo. Substitutes were far wasted unleasing 3 wingers (Chisamba, Fwayo and Lubambo) at a time we needed goals.
3-Mweene: I am not one to blame players for missing penalties at critical times as it’s a game of chancing and we’ve been in such situations before Jones Chilengi (1984 East and Central African Cup final Vs Malawi despite having scored a penalty in the previous semi final match against Uganda-Dennis Liwewe was so irate even tellling us that Jones had never taken a penalty before), Great Kalu (Cosafa final at Independence vs Angola), Modon Malitoli (1991 Afica Club Champions final in a shoot-out for Nkana vs J S Kabilye of Algeria at Independence). All i can say to Mweene is to book out now as all the signs are there that his billing is fast waning at least in the fans’ eyes. Even as i type this at work, I’m defending him against all my workmates who are saying he was too casual about it!
Uncle bobs with all due respect. I dont care if Chris is in wheelchair if he has and ounce of form he should be in the team! Even if he cant run only for 15 mins he must be reinstated to the team to set the plays and the temprement. Look at Afcon 2015 where ran around like the pitch like maniacs doing everything but scoring goals only for the other team to then score against us. Janza was a fool to ditch Chris for his own conveniace. Zambia needed to trasition and Zambia is now stuck. They must bring it back before long it really will be too late.
Seen Chris is a spent force! Dream on!!! His done!!!! If you are a soccer fan am sure you know that 2013 AFCON Chris was their, what did he do? What stage where we eliminated. ? Infact he should have been kicked out before AFCON 2013
Anyone watching any of the local games please update us on the proceedings
Ba Zamfoot please update on the local games…. Zambian football did not stop yesterday because of one bad result we need to keep ourselves informed on the local front!
Chisamba lungu lubambo musonda fwayo tembo must be in the first eleven in the team
MUST? It’s a privilege not a right please!!!!
Kalu just steal that Harambee Stars coach,am very positive it is an offer he cannot refuse even if it means being paid a few dollars less.
Most of the National Teams coached by local coaches struggled either playing at home or away ,I guess this tells more about the caliber of the local coaches.
Kenya leads Congo 1-0, 20 minutes played. The game is being played in Congo.
Congo 1-1 Kenya 35th min.
This is how we end up making things hard for ourselves.
Even if there are no small teams anymore,am sitting watching the game between Kenya and the Congo and thInking to my self,these are the pathetic teams which my Chipolopolo are struggling to beat.In the gone by years we would qualify with say one or two games to spare.
I am also watching the Congo vs Kenya match. It’s a boring and useless match. Both teams are very useless indeed. As @Discipline put it, if Zambia is serious enough, we should be able to beat these teams home and away. But knowing our Chipolopolo, awee mwee.
jst becoz simukonda is assistant,he brings in an under five boy…nathan is not fit.kondwani is too slow…now I agree why singuluma was not used by renard.mbola does not improve…he owez plays the same…I wud rather play lubambo pa 8.alan is cosafa material…play sate and mayuka.fwayo 7 kalaba 11.nathan 6.retire singuluma.chase patson and bench kondwani.
ghana 5 mauricious 1 first half
Gentlemen, lets swallow our pride and call back Chris Katongo,Jacob Mulenga, Isaac Chansa, Collins Mbesuma and James Chamanga otherwise we will be embarrassed and fail to qualify under these guys.
I beg to differ with your opinion that i still respect-these are the same chaps that fared the same way you’re complaining about in the Afcon 2015 qualifiers (drew 0-0 with Moz at Levy, lost away to Cape Verde, drew 0-0 with Niger away until they were rested we beat Moz 0-1 away, beat Cape Verde 1-0 at Levy, beat Niger 4-1 i think at Levy). So what will th ey bring to the team when some of them have even flopped in SA where they previously top-scored? Even at the time the same guys you want started, in 2006 and 2008, we flopped. Let’s accept that we just mis-managed out Post Afcon 2012 period chapwa and stop finding wrong faults! Just my opinion!
GHANA BLACK STARS LEADS MAURITIUS BY 5 GOALS TO -0
FIRST HALF.. WAITING FOR THE SECOND HALF.
!! GAME ON !!
FT: Congo 1 – 1 Kenya. Its one of the most dullest matches I have ever watched. I can’t believe this is the Congo I watched at the 2015 afcon in Equatorial Guinea. As for Kenya I never expected anything from the.
It’s all square in this group. Zambia, Congo, Kenya & Guinea Bissau have all got 1 point each after the first round of matches.
Surely Ba Zambia team selection should improve. Let us not select and start players we know can’t do anything. That match yesterday we could beaten those G. Bissaus by a cricket scoreline if we had proper players, a good first team line up and team selection.
We have players. Jacob Mulenga we need him now that Congo and Kenya have leveled matters let Chicken recall Jacob Mulenga. No to Katongo
Problem Jacob nao lipulanga though I like his dedication! Maybe giving Roger Kola his last chance although he’s flopped in the past, but at least for his exposure and performance in Europe (or is it Middle East)!
Would rather have Patson over Jacob and Mbesuma any day
Sir Jojo, you’re the man as ever. To digress a bit, In my formative banking years in Banking, I once ran a branch in Nakonde (having been moved from Mwinilunga) with completely new staff after entire branch including Manager had been fired for fraud (Even at Mwinilunga, i took over after Manager was fired for fraud-K21m at the time). Within 3 months of my being there with novice staff, the branch that had been in operation for 1yr 10months made profits for the first time and 19yrs on, it remains one of the most profitable branches to date. As i write this of the completely new staff i had 1 is in SA as a Manager at SAB Miller, one is doing her Master in the USA and the other is in UK working after doing her degree. Why the irrelevant story up to this point? I do not believe in making an employee or player indispensable (Xris, Jacob, Mbesuma, Ba Muzo etc) as Practice no longer makes perfect but makes it permanent and these same SMAL BOYS as some call them with harnessing just 3 factors of success can make it
1.Give them authority to express themselves through coaching, mentoring and counseling
2.Ensure the know the WHY of doing anything on the pitch 3.Have the necessary REWARDS (Benefits of playing for the Country beyond just monetary aspect) and RECOGNITION(FAIL-First Attempt In Learning, should be part of their growth curve and NO aka Next Opportunity is what should follow flop like was the case at Afcon 2015 and do not call for their early END-Effort Never Dies)
So this calling of MADALAS isn’t a sustainable solution. I just find it amazing how people on this blog want to turn a blind eye to how the same madalas flopped at AFcon 2013 and were on the verge of not making it to Afcon 2015 until the same kids the want to now align saved our souls. I’d have supported recalling the madalas save for the Afcon 2013 and 2015 Afcon qualifiers debacle
We did not have an accomplished striker in that team – no goal getter, and besides, you need leadership in such positions . An experienced hand like Jacob would have done or even the top scoring Zambian in the ABSA premiership (Mbesuma|)
@Nazo what are those granpas going to bring to the team apart from just finishing much needed player space.Our group is still open now is down to some very serious business.Kalu let us now show them that we are still a force to reckon with.
@ Billy, those were the players in the camp who else did you want play.Sate Sate, Bonwell Mwape and Mayuka were all not fit according to the coach but Janza did not see all these when took in camp.
Hey man, I am not talking about those useless ZPL & Cosafa players of yours. Hpw telling me that the team that the coach started was the right one? You haven’t been following my comments, because if you did, you wouldn’t ask me ” who else did you want play”.
Kola is one players the coach (Janza) should have assessed and included in this team. If the coach can call Bornwell Mwape surely, you can’t tell me that Kola shouldn’t be in the team. The whole point is that the coach messed up with tactics and team selection. Even with the players that we had in camp, had the coach not blundered with selection, we could have beaten those Bissaus.
@ discipline, mention the much needed players you are talking about otherwise i will consider it as fake talk or crew less idea.
ghana 6 mauritious 1
END OF 90 MINUTES –GHANA BLACK STARS -7 MAURITIUS -1
@Nazo,Chris at the moment is clubless and still he even failed to command a starting place at useless Wits,Mbesuma he is playing but he is not the player he was and scored just about four goals from over a dozen games,,for James is that he is old the only player I would like say have to look at from those you are requesting is Jacob.Most of the above players are just playing for up keep reasons but take for instance Lubambo the lad will give it all unlike Felix and the other granpas
Word
Difference between Zambia and teams like Ghana. When a small team shows up in their neighborhood, they hand them a beating. Look at Zambia, and some people on this blog want to call Zambia a power house.
Well spoken dude
Nice analysis,Coach Flanklyn,We need minds like yours for our team.
Mayuka, mwape and sate sate they were fit for that match . That new idiot coach is a blind worm . He too small to coach Zambia . His appointment was a big blunder . Mwape score two goals in practise match and one at casafa tournament . Sate sate scored for the under 23. Mayuka is fully fit . It hurts to learn that kalu is coaching Zambia with a remote control from his base in sa. Janza said i value kola but kalu does not . This is unnecessary interference . And idiotism is happening in Zambia only . I have never heard of a president of any football association coaching a team like what this man is doing . They are busy marketing patson daka . The boy is not even scoring for his club .
Well said.
Well said! Bravo. We are tired of rubbish
@#expatriate coach 4 chipolopolo
If Coach is not able to bring Fyayo , lubambo and Excellent Chisamba in the 1st. Line up then let FAZ fire both Kalu and Coach?????????
There is a lot we can learn from Ghana. Check how many goals they are able to convert! I know we crushed them in the plate and spoon game.
U beat the local black stars pls. Not the proper tournament black stars. Pls qualify
U beat the local black stars pls. Not the proper tournament black stars. Pls qualify
The bitter truth is that with the exception of Kalaba and Mweene, we don’t have enough quality players at the moment. The coach screwed up with the starting line up but let’s face it we’re feeding on scraps at the moment. Too many average players in the squad.
I’d also like to see the sports minister taking the issue of coach recruitment to the next level. As a nation we need to come down on Faz in full force to make them bow to our demands that they advertise for the vacancy ASAP. Faz should not hold the nation to ransom like they own us.
Useless Arrogant Kalu will continue to destroy Zambian football. Expect the worse until the people of Zambia wake up and dispose this corrupt f00l.
What you all saw yesterday was simply an indication of where this Kalu is taking this football team. If you continue drinking his kool Aid, expects more and worse of these types of results.
The beleaguered Patson Daka is the only player who could penetrate into the box from outside. kalaba could drug it wide but again no one running into the box late to get a tap in. Players don’t have enough quality??? They should come and watch me at the madalas. I will teach them a variety of small things that make a difference!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What is needed is for ZED to take a break from international football n reorganise otherwise they more or less wasting taxpayers MONEY , and bringing nothing but shame and dishonor to the nation. CluelessCoach + impationate players+ Dull n Greedy Administrators = DISASTER. One thing we need to accept is we are not as good as we think we ARE Period.
finally u concede
And George decided to bench match winners like Kampamba and a skillful player such as Chisamba.I thought every coache’s intent is to win games.