Zambia U23 captain Toaster Nsabata saved three penalties in a nail biting penalty shoot out to help the Zambia U23 national team qualify to the finals of the Senegal 2015 CAF U23 Championship at the expense of Ivory Coast.
Carrying a vital point from a 0 – 0 draw away in Abidjan, Zambia looked fragile against a tactically good Ivory Coast side but still managed to get a result as both teams failed to break the deadlock over two legs with the second leg ending 0 – 0.
The Ivorians were quick to settle as Zambia struggle to make in-roads into the final third of attack. Mweene Mumbi on the left full back for Zambia struggled to come into the game was being tormented by the attackers.
Mumbi was rightly replaced by Solomon Sakala who patched the left very well in the 30th minute.
Zambia’s cause was dealt a blow in the 43rd minute when the best player on the pitch going forward, Kelvin Mubanga was withdrawn for Charles Zulu after he suffered and injury when he was hacked from behind.
After the restart, Ivory Coast again were quick to settle and this time literally camped in the Zambian half.
With Mukuka Mulenga struggling on the right flank and Charles Zulu not making much progress with his runs Zambia were being overrun in the midfield and they only had the Ivorians poor finishing to thank after a striker dummied his way into the box with only the keeper to beat but shot wide 60th minute.
Simukonda then brought in Patson Daka on the right wing for a less effective Mukuka.
It was there after a seesaw affair with both teams trying to make the breakthrough but to no avail.
Benson Sakala had a good game at the heart of the Zambian defense while Friday Samu hussled well in front.
The match then went straight to penalties after the two teams remained deadlocked on 90 minutes.
Zambia converted their penalties through Jackson Chirwa, Benedict Chepeshi, Solomon Sakala and Patson Daka while Ronald Kampamba, Sakala and Zulu missed their spot-kicks for Zambia to win 4 – 3 on post-match penalties.
The win send Zambia to the finals of the CAF U23 Championship scheduled for 28 November to 12 December in Senegal, where the top three teams will represent Africa at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and the fourth placed team facing an Asian side in a playoff.
Zambia XI
Toaster Nsabata – Benedict Chepeshi, Mumbi Mweene (Solomon Sakala), Kapota Kayawe, Benson Sakala – Jack Chirwa, Shadreck Malambo – Mukuka Mulenga (Patson Daka), Kelvin Mubanga (Charles Zulu) – Friday Samu, Ronald Kampamba
Something need to be done we ve problems with strikers. For the past 4 or 6 games ve not seen goes from the under 23 striker. Hope FAZ has some plans. Anyway Congrates .
Zambia must qualify for the olympics. We need this to export more boys to Europe. I see a generation of Zambians heading to Europe over the next few years especially with this possible qualification and the Renard / Patrice connection.
Lots of work to be done Mr Coach.
Mayuka and Rodgers kola are the best strikers in zambia. Rodgers will be red hot now with this move to Greece. Mayuka will also be back stronger where the Russians will polish him at spartak. Like Mayuka talented players like sallah from Egypt have struggled in the EPL it’s a dangerous league to play.
I knew that we will struggle to Beat ivory coast. We need lubambo musonda, evans KANGWA, and Emmanuel mbola in this team. pliz asses kamuzungu fight on called from england also. Otherwise things are not good more especially the strikers. Satesate must check his legs how do you miss a penalty sure? A striker? Anyway vicitika.
Congrats to zambia for making it to senegal but this is just the beginning the main qualifier to the olympic is starting in November. Celebrate less now and celebrate big at the end of the competition in Senegal.
Hope to see my country- Nigeria(Zambia’s Big Nightmare) join you guys tomorrow. We surely have unfinished business to settle in Senegal.
Congo might just surprise you dude. They have an away goal remember!
We’ve got four months before the games in Senegal. Enough time to work on everything needed to improve this team. Our defense (including hero of the day goalkeeper Toaster) seems to be our backbone as we managed to keep clean sheets home and away. From the report above I guess our focus has to be the midfield and the front. The fact that we couldn’t score a goal over both legs highlights our blunt forward line. As good as people say he is, Sate Sate is not prolific. And I say this, not because he missed his penalty kick in the aftermath of the match. (Anyone can miss a penalty). He’s still good enough to be part of the team. Having Evans Kangwa in Senegal has to be the priority though. That will give us more credible attacking options. Mukuka Mulenga is sailing in dangerous waters. I hope he can prove me wrong by regaining his form in the next three months otherwise it won’t shock me if he fails to make the cut for the Senegal outing.
We need cyril chibwe from platnum stars(PSL) to give Toaster competition in goal.
Am just hoping that Senegal qualifiers fall on FIFA dates so that we will be able to round up all the lads we need not as it was the case today,currently we are lucking strikers which is very strange as we are known to be very strong on that field department,bravo for the good job still.Those now calling for HR and his boy to be coming to the aid of our lads is not wise I feel our lads should just come to the party and be signed on merit by just some other coaches other than HR.
Great work to be done
Mayuka best zambia striker “what are you smoking?” @John and other Mayuka’s fanboys. When last did this guy score for either country or club?
He can’t even command a starting shirt in ur national team. 17/18 year old Patson Daka benched his ass the last time. Best striker indeed.
With the way you hype this dude, a stranger just landing on earth from mars will think he averages at least 15-20 goals per season for his club side.
Stop over hyping Mayuka let his football talk for him. He needs to give 150% per cent of his best to get his career back in line.
This is outside the current topic but since you brought it up I dare respond that indeed Mayuka is currently Zambia’s leading striker. You’re right he’s going through a rough time at the moment. The good thing about his case is that his issue is not about lacking talent. There’s no doubting his talent. The issue is about confidence. He’ll come good sooner than you can pronounce your name!
chipungu musukuma is the best midfielder in Zambia but no one piks him.wat criteria do coaches use.
musukuma wears no.13 plays for nkwazi.he’s also The captain.
good enuf.
Wat nightmare r u talking abt bodo, elaborate, jst coz u beat us at home doesnt make Nigeria a nightmare for Zambia?
You are always scared of the west Africans. The west have dominated African soccer , home & abroad
Mayuka is by far zambia’s best striker. Being sidelined by southampton means nothing. The best winger in africa sallah has been called a flop by Chelsea. The EPL is a dangerous league we have seen Diego forlan suffer same fate. Mayuka will come good now he’s at spartak. Back to the rio olympics zambia must assemble a strong team with lubambo musonda included. Lubambo is red hot and must play in Senegal in the starting 11.
Congrats fighton simukonda ,the lads na ba FAZ time to get down to some serious preps.
Evans kangwa looked very average at afcon 2015
As did just about every member of the squad with the exception of Kalaba.
@paradox, check our head-to-head from the U-17 stage to the senior national team stage. And we’ve met 3 times this year already once at U-17, twice at U-23. You know the result of these games.
We will talk more when The Dream team secures the ticket against Claude Le Roy boys tomorrow.
Problem with most of our boys is instability. There’s too much changing of clubs either being loaned or being shipped out. Point in case: Nathan Sinkala, Sunzu, Kola, Mayuka, Kangwa the list goes on and on. These guys haven’t settled at one team for more than a season. There always seem to be a cloud of uncertainty regarding to where they will play the following season. This affects players performances as they always seem to p,at under pressure to impress.
Seem to play under pressure
bodo. we shall seek revenge if we meet again. I hope it happens so.
@john. Is it confirmed abt mayuka to Russia?
Zambia dominats west africa in terms of football @badosqi, except Nigeria. Check your records properly, but not on under something teams
uve started this nonsense zambia dominate west africa bogus debate again.when will u guys aim higher than west africa?no matter what u pepo say,even if its under 5 or under 80,we will take advantage of it to showcase our youthfull talents no matter what.the likes of babayaro,kanu,kufuor ,appiah, essien all passed through world under age competitions yet went ahead to make it big after those competitions,saviola, deallesandro all played with essien in that u20 competition in argentina yet with their so called correct ages,what else did they achieve after that competition?
West Africans will continue to take advantage of those age competitions to showcase our youthful talents to attract interest from big time leagues BUT will NEVER plead,beg and cajole on some SYMPATHY poaching from some ‘good Samaritan’ coach.
Use uor correct age players to qualify for the world cup,das where the big deal exist but until that,negotiate past sudan ,limp tru the DREADED WEST and the FEARFUL NORTH ,then u can come and yarn trash here.
This should come to an end, even Wikipedia knows that Toaster is not under 23!!!!!
Toaster Nsabata
Football player
Born: January 4, 1990 (age 25)
Current team: Zambia
national football team
(Goalkeeper)
@ badosiqi n Ghana p .. Tate taiwo Nigerian soccer star turns 25 back home his twin bro turns 33. This is how u are dominating African football .. I happy Zambia qualified using under 20 n 17 players. It shows that we are using a certain system not age cheating..
Just been looking at the other teams that have booked places in the 2015 African Under-23 Championships in Senegal, with wins in their qualifiers. It will be tough
South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, Zambia and hosts Senegal are through while the remaining 3 should be known by today and these will be from the following games;
-Tunisia vs Morocco (0-1 first game)
-Mali vs Gabon (1-0 first game)
-Congo Brazzaville vs Nigeria (1-2 first game)
So, FAZ make a plan after the Draws are made
@Bafika aba Mano. Wikipedia is updated by anyone even you can put data their. You can satte that Toaster age is 14 Years if you want. Don’t ever believe what you see on Wikipedia baba.
Its updated a thousand of times in an hour by different users.