• ZAMBIA Under-23 defender Kapota Kayawe (right) is challenged by Phakamani Mahlambi of South Africa during the Under-23 African Cup of Nations Group A match at Stade Leopold Stadium,Senegal on Tuesday. South Africa won 3-2. Picture by BACKPAGEPIX
By MOSES CHIMFWEMBE –
COACH Fighton Simukonda was left gutted after watching his players surrender a first half 1-0 lead against South Africa to lose 3-2 and exit the Senegal 2015 Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) without a win.
Simukonda told a press conference after the match in Dakar that his players went to sleep and got punished by a South African side that scored three quick goals in seven minutes.
That defeat eliminated Zambia from the ongoing competition after losing the first game 2-1 to Tunisia in Group A as Simukonda’s side failed to register a single win.
“In my team everyone is disappointed because we played so well in the first half. We thought in the second half we were going to finish them unfortunately things came down, we slept and were punished,” he said.
Simukonda, who voiced out his disappointment over the team’s exit from the tournament, said his lads got punished in Tuesday’s match for losing concentration after Conlyde Luchanga gave Zambia the lead.
“The first half was good but the second half wasn’t because we gave them room to play around that’s why they scored. I told my boys that these guys are good in set pieces and we lacked concentration,” he said.
Zambia plays hosts Senegal, who beat Tunisia 2-0 to qualify to the semi finals, tomorrow to fulfil the remaining fixture before packing their bags while South Africa will need to beat the North African side to sail through to the last eight.
Simukonda claimed that luck was not on Zambia’s side in the race for a spot at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games following the early exit in Senegal.
“We came here to at least reach the semi finals but unfortunately lucky is not with us but against Senegal, we are not taking things lightly because we have to win,” Simukonda, said during a post-match conference from Dakar.
Midfielder Lubambo Musonda said in as much as the exit was disappointing, the team will need to salvage some pride in tomorrow’s formality match against Senegal.
Musonda, who arrived in Dakar a night before the match and made the starting 11, said the team did its level best to chase for positive results that could not come forth.
“We have a lot to do and we need to work extra hard in our next match and defend the name of our country because we will be playing for pride. We shall play well and pick it up from there,” Musonda said.
Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Kalusha Bwalya has said the players let themselves down after suffering a second defeat that confirmed their elimination from the competition.
Kalusha said the team, that comprised 10 senior Chipolopolo players, did not step up to take advantage of the opportunities presented during the games, hence the defeats.
The FAZ chief, however, urged the lads to recover and start preparing for the Rwanda 2016 African Nations Championships (CHAN) billed for next month.
“I thought it was a most important match, we let ourselves down. In the first half we seemed to be in control and after we scored there was not so much danger coming from South Africa,” Kalusha told Fazfootball.
Zambia Sports Fans Association (ZASPOFA) chairperson, Peter Makembo said the exit should be an eye opener to the technical bench not to underrate opponents.
Makembo wondered why Zambia was always the first country to face elimination from such tournaments, when it boasts of some of the experienced coaches and talented players.
“We are very disappointed as the fans mother body. The entire Chipolopolo technical bench was in Senegal which should have gotten results but why we have failed to go past the group stage I don’t Know,” Makembo said.
