By MOSES CHIMFWEMBE –
South Africa 3 Zambia 2
ZAMBIA’S dream of participating at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games yesterday came to an abrupt end after the junior Chipolopolo were knocked out by South Africa at the ongoing CAF Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Senegal in a five-goal thriller.
Fighton Simukonda’s men were the first team to be eliminated from the championship.
The Under-23 squad becomes the fourth national team to suffer early exit from the continental championship this year, after the Under-17, 20 and the senior Chipolopolo were booted out from their respective tournaments.
With the Rio Games out of sight, Zambia will have to wait for five years to try their lack for qualification to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Zambia, who are bottom of Group A without a single point from two games, will now be playing for pride in their final match against hosts Senegal on Friday.
Yesterday’s encounter, played at Léopold Sédar Senghor Stadium in Dakar, saw Zambia squander a one-goal lead with an impressive South Africa side scoring three goals in seven minutes to send their regional bitter rivals packing.
Gift Motupa scored a brace and Menzi Masuku added to hand coach Owen da Gama a vital win that boosted South Africa’s Olympic hopes while Conlyde Luchanga and Billy Mutale scored for Zambia.
With both teams needing a win to survive exit, Zambia started the game on the front foot with defender Benedict Chepeshi forcing a great save from Jody February in the 27th minute from a long range.
But February could not stop Luchanga’s superb volley that was struck with great precision off a Spencer Sautu cross against the run-of-play to break the deadlock on 35 minutes.
Sensing danger, South Africa pushed for an equaliser but Zambia’s defence held firm to protect the lead into the break.
Calamity struck Zambia two minutes after restart when South Africa restored parity via Musuku, who breached the defence barricade following a goalmouth scramble to slot home an equaliser.
That goal was followed by Motupa’s brace in the 52nd and 54th minutes to end Zambia’s hopes.
For the first goal, Motupa rose higher than Kapota Kayawe to nod in Kwandakwensizwa Mngonyama’s header off a Keagan Dolly’s corner-kick.
Another defensive howler saw Motupa produce a top-class finish from a perfectly-weighed Masupa through ball to put the final nail in Zambia’s coffin.
Mutale pulled one back for Zambia from an intelligently taken corner-kick by Lubambo Musonda in the 73rd minute but the goal came a little too late as South Africa held on to their advantage to seal victory.
Zambia wrap up Group A with a date against the hosts with South Africa facing Tunisia the same day.