FAZ DEMANDS CHAN REPORT
…objective was to win games not talent identification-Ng’andu
By Cecilia Nayame
FOOTBALL Association of Zambia (FAZ) vice president Mutale Ng’andu has castigated Chipolopolo’s poor performance at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) following the team’s exit from the tournament without winning a single match.
And FAZ general secretary Machacha Shepande has demanded a report from the technical bench over the team’s poor performance in Nairobi, Kenya.
Addressing players shortly after the team’s arrival at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA) in Lusaka Monday night, Ng’andu said the team’s objective at the tournament was to win matches and not talent identification.
“I did mention that of course the objective at CHAN could be talent identification but of course, we needed to win games because that’s what everyone was looking for, to win games,” he said.
Ng’andu said competing in tournaments such as CHAN was expensive, hence, the need for players to put in extra effort.
“There are no excuses [in losing games] because there are expenses involved,” he said.
Ng’andu urged players to draw lessons from CHAN tournament for them to perform well at future events.
“I am sure players will apply some of the lessons learned from CHAN to their clubs. Obviously most of us have learned something from the outing,” he said.
Ng’andu said it was disappointing to return back home with four loses.
“Coming back home without winning a game is something that we did not expect as a nation especially to this country which is definitely known as a footballing nation,” he said.
Ng’andu assured the nation of better results going forward.
“They have picked lessons from there [CHAN]. I want to assure the nation that we are going to do better in future, we are going to bounce back. A report will come and we are going to move forward after that,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shepande, who received the team at KKIA as he performed his first duty as FAZ general secretary, said the nation was in high spirits seeing the team participating at CHAN.
He said the performance of the team was disappointing.
“We are here to welcome you because we value you and we value what we sent you for, but of course we are not welcoming you on a very good note.
“I think our participation at CHAN was not good, you all know it, the expectations at home were quite high but you didn’t meet what was expected of us,” Shepande said.
He urged players to draw positive lessons from the tournament.
“Where I stand here, there are lessons of course drawn from CHAN, both positives and negatives but I think it’s important for us to draw positive lessons, which I hope we did,” he said.
Shepande urged players not to lose focus.
“You did your best, perhaps, that’s how far you could go, you proved it, perhaps, that’s the best you can give at the tournament,” he said.
Shepande appealed to the technical bench to work on the errors exposed at the tournament.
“If I may address, maybe, the technical parts, of course, we are yet to receive an official report on our performance, which was not good at all.
“But the message that I have for the technical bench is that the first step to overcome a challenge is to admit and acknowledge, also recognise that there is a problem,” he added.
Midfielder Prince Mumba admitted the team’s poor performance and pledged to improve at future events.
“What can we say…? We were in sorrow, we were also troubled. We know things could not go as we wished or planned, but it turned out to be so,” he said.
Mumba appealed to fans not to lose hope in the team.
“I will quote the statement that the general secretary made, we accept but we will not accept being at the bottom…even us as players, we will try by all means possible to rise back and get the nation to where it belongs,” he said.
Zambia lost all her Group A matches and exited the tournament without a point.
Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Morocco and hosts Kenya were the other teams in Group A.
