Embattled Chipolopolo Boys coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic believes his side is still the strongest side at the ongoing 2021 Cosafa Cup in South Africa.
Despite the Southern Africa power house’s woes deepening following successful back-to-back defeats to minnows Lesotho on Thursday, and Eswatini on Saturday, the outspoken Serbian coach has also accepted the pressure from the fans.
“I still believe with all due respect to the other teams, we are the strongest team in the tournament,” the Serbian-born coach said in a post-match interview.
” But it’s not about how strong you are but it’s about what you put on in the field of play and it’s all about results.
Micho, who is believed to be getting over a monthly salary of K550, 000 was also quick to point to the fact that the defending Champions have not created theirs on luck.
“We have not given enough to football for football to pay us back,” the former Orlando Pirates and Zamalek coach added.
Micho’s Chipolopolo Boys were handed a 1-0 loss at the hands of Eswatini on Saturday leaving them almost out of the 2021 COSAFA Cup .
The five times Champions have already suffered shock defeats to Lesotho and Swaziland.
Zambia will face Botswana and South Africa in the remaining group matches.
The 2012 African Champions are currently bottom on the group with no points.
Zambia needs a win
I gave this man a chance but he sure is hopeless!
FAZ, we are hurting our football; regulate the number of foreign players in our league…
Not a good coach at all. I Wonder how he qualified to take up that highest football position.
Just how do our strikers fail to score???
We can’t keep on blaming the coach, the coach can only do so much but players (striker should sometimes take things personal bring out their individual brilliance.
I said it on this blog when I was commenting on Patson Daka, when the then young player was insulted from all angles, that sometimes we Zambians don’t see good things as we always focus on instant results.
I believe strongly Micho is a good Coach without a doubt and if given chance He will qualify the team to their first maiden World Cup. However, the problem we have is our Players, they don’t have that anger instead they play with agitation and full of mistakes like amateurs. One would expect competence from the Chipolopolo but instead, all you get are a mesh of uncalculated passes like a division three team. Wada went the same way why, because of the same behaviour of our players. Please don’t make another mistake of firing another good coach “Micho” it’s time our players manned up and became responsible as well as account for their patriotism. The recent losses are solely on the heads of our players especially midfielders and strikers period!
As much as we blame the Coach we should also loo at the Players. I watched in bits and pieces the Leostho game. Adrian Chama was disappointing again. He was like a Toll free highway. I wonder how this guy keeps getting National team calls. K.Chongo got a yellow card in the 1st 30 minutes and he could not go hard and committe himself after that. Kabaso does not finish a game without getting a card. He is good defender but he needs to time his tackles.
The strikers were missing easy chances. The players have to look at themselves and recheck their commitment to their National team. Body Mwila missed a chance on a plate that even my son would easily put away.
Our defense is still a sense of concern. Sunzu, Shemmy Mayembe and others need to be looked at. Mayembe is getting needed experience in Ukraine.
Only Kamanga the can accept such nonsense….a sensible coach would have resigned
Bad results Yes, Poor performance yes however if u do not score do not concede! Coach Micho is has passion and will drive our team he lucks quality from defenders. Poor academy knowledge is hurting our players. Basics.
This Micho has to go. He is not making things better
Micho is very useless he failed at all tournaments. He is too small to coach zambia period. If he fails at cosafa level then you expect him to qualify where and win against which teams. Let him go or the government should withdraw its sponsorship.
Removing Kalu and putting Kamanga in charge of FAZ was like replacing a cardiologist with a bush mechanic Tefintu
This has nothing to do with the Coach, Kamanga and even Kalusha. It is the players’ fault.
Ayende chabe
Iwe you are killing me with laughter
Micho is Very stupidy and idiotic man how can you tell people that you have a strong team yet you failing beat small teams. I think he is mentaly disturbed. Let him go useless coach
The problem is the players. Missed easy chances.
Zambias team cannot win a game unless something serious happens. The last goals the team has scored against Sudan was sheer lack and against Swiziland it was profited from a mistake.
It is clear to that individual brilliance is lacking, quick and intelligent moves are not there, creative play not there alas the only thing that is there is ineffective and cimbwi no plan interchange of passed especially at the back and 1/3 opponent area. That play maker understanding of goings in a game is not.
The average age of the team leaves much to be desire as it has an impact on speed in opponent move stoppage and also mount of serious attacks.
Lastly, I have not seen the coaches input sorry to say that.
He even have the audacity to talk such rubbish. Lesotho and Eswatini were two teams we could beat both on paper and on the field.
Useless coach. No tactic. No zeal. No vision.
FIRE him as early as yesterday!
We need positive results to agree that Chipolopolo is the strongest team at COSAFA. We still don’t know our regular frontline.
The coach made blunders. He drafted in kalongoshi who lacked game time. Puting justin shonga and lungu on bench worsened the situation. Dropping players its not a tactic. Work on them to improve. This is the biggest blunder committed by micho. Thats why he is failing to come up with a winning team. He dropped all the players he started the rebuilding project. With.
Enough! How many coaches are you going to blame? I watched the game even the commentators confirmed that the players are to blame period. You called lwandamina, Chiyangi, Sven, and Wada’s heads. Count how many coaches in a period of 5 years? The problem is not the Coach but players. Mark my words even if you brought the best coach in the World Chipolopolo with the attitude they have will lose even to a determined division three team.
But according to what I observed in first game against Lesotho chipolopolo were the better side in first half but what was lacking is the ability to pass the ball to their friends in short the speed and passing accuracy was too poor I wonder whether Micho observed this or not
To me the Coach we have is very good. Unless someone ca convince me that he is the one telling players to remove the ball from a scoring position to anywhere away from the goal line.
All teams are afraid of Chipolopolo, but when they see you missing like that they start getting confidence and punish you.
Our strikers are putting too much pressure on other players.
I am happy this is not a World Vup qualifier.
It looks like anything can fall out of Michos mouth. I can’t stand him any more. He is a failure
As zambians, let not bury our heads in the sand and live by history. We just don’t have the quality of players of yesteryears. Kabaso choongo is one hopeless player who is just too rough and keeps throwing himself unnecessarily. If we can’t beat Lesotho or Swaziland, then you expect to win against bigger and best teams and qualify for the world cup. My foot, let’s withdraw and rebuild.
Nshikwete amashiwi ine but my point is that players are the ones to blame thanks
What an abysmal performance from Zambia. Clueless coach!
Please please zambian help to take micho to chairman mental hospital for checker ups I have k80 any to contribute.
The problem is the coach. How many teams has lined up. Each game or competition he changes players.
Please Micho can we have one team.
One wanders whether he makes the lineup for games or there is someone who makes it for him.
I love his system of trying nearly all the players so that no one will tell him who to call.
Augustine Mulenga is one of players who has failed to perform well.
Think your system has just blocked my number
Give chance to wedson nyirenda he knows 🇿🇲Zambian football mulicho is a failure he can’t take the team anywhere
A summary of what has been said by
many above. Coach is to blame in that he has been experimenting since he took over. When does he come up with a core team? and play around that team. Most coaches who have coached Zambia before you see improvement in players’ ball position and passes in first few games but not this guy. A coach must engage players individually discuss their weaknesses, strong points in classroom like environment and work to improve on those areas. I always give an example Ante buselik another Serb? in old days who changed Peter Mhango from playing no. 9 or 8 to playing defence. It was a beauty to see Peter in a new role in the team. Also may be to agree with some points raised above, in the LEAGUE, I have notice, there is no classy football anymore its pool, pool. I think we must look at the quality of foreign players recruited. Coaches in the league must be improved.
Adrian Chama, Kabaso Chongo a few more are not improving