Phiri to make tactical Changes

CHANGE is inevitable to our defence, Zambia national soccer team coach Patrick Phiri has said.

In a telephone interview ahead of tomorrow’s deciding Group C match against Egypt at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, Phiri said players with fresh legs would be introduced in the team.

He said a team that did not perform well in certain departments would always be subjected to changes.

Phiri said the Zambian defence was the worst department when the Chipolopolo Boys embarrassingly lost 5-1 to an average Cameroonian side on Saturday.

“We have to give confidence to the players who played well.

That is why we need to bring fresh legs in the team,” he said.
Phiri said he was not too pleased with the Chipolopolo midfield too.

“I can’t single out any player but if you don’t play well, there must be change,” he said.
Wingback Clive Hachilensa was among the worst players of the day with midfielder Ian Bakala playing below par in consecutive assignments.

Zanaco’s Kennedy Nketani was another poor figure on the pitch.

Zesco United defender William Chinyama, South Africa-based hard-tackler Chintu Kampamba and Francis Kasonde are Phiri’s options in defence.

Phiri is hopeful that the changes would give the Chipolopolo Boys a lifeline ahead of the tie with Egypt at Baba Yara Stadium.

“We are desperate for the three points because they will give us chance to qualify to the next round,” he added.

Phiri said his side had shown great amount of recovery from the 5-1 bashing at the hands of the Indomitable Lions.

He said the Christopher Katongo captained side was looking forward to tomorrow’s match.

Zambia needs to beat Egypt and hope Cameroon draws or loses to bottom placed Sudan.
“The boys were very much down yesterday (Sunday) after the result on Saturday.

But they looked brighter in training today (yesterday) and they are focusing on Egypt,” he said.

Phiri conceded that the match against Egypt is an uphill battle.

“Egypt is a strong team… they have played well so far and they look sharp,” he said.

Phiri is confident the team that would line up against the Pharaohs will be equal to the challenge.

Zambia are placed third in Group C on three points like Cameroon but goal difference separates the two sides

No deal with Ivory Coast, insists Mali skipper Diarra

Mali captain Mahamadou Diarra insists there’ll be no arrangement to produce a mutually convenient draw with Ivory Coast in their final African Nations Cup Group B tie here on Tuesday.

With tournament favourites Ivory Coast already qualified and Mali only requiring a draw to book the second quarter-final ticket there has been speculation on whether or not these neighbours have the desire to go all out for victory.

But Diarra, who is suspended after a rough tackle in the dying minutes of Friday’s goalless draw with Nigeria, brushed the notion aside.

“If it’s 0-0 with 20 or 25 minutes to go there won’t be any ‘deal’, but perhaps the two teams will want to stabilise the game and break the rhythm in a certain way,” he said.

“But the most important thing is to remain ourselves and to show to people that we’re not there for nothing and that we play good football. And with our desire, we can go far.”

The Real Madrid midfielder reckons Mali are three-quarters of the way to a last eight berth, which will earn them a match-up against the winners or runners-up in Group A, possibly against hosts Ghana who play 24 hours earlier.

Assessing Tuesday’s game Diarra added: “It won’t be as open and spectacular than if both teams really wanted to get three points, for Ivory Coast already have six, they’re through.

“And we’re 75 percent there, but that doesn’t mean that it’s wrapped up.

“We won’t be playing at full speed, at 100 or 150 miles an hour, but remember it’s still a match between Mali and (regional rivals) Ivory Coast!”

Turning to his enforced absence and how that might affect Mali’s prospects he said: “It hurts not to be able to play, but when I look at our squad, I’m confident.

“The team works well without Diarra.”

Loooking to what lies ahead in the knockout round, presuming Mali make it, he added: “The most important thing is to qualify, after we’ll see what fate hands us. I’m not afraid of any team, whether it be Ghana, Guinea or Morocco.”

Mali have never won the continental title, and the prospect of lifting the trophy aloft in Accra on February 10 excites Diarra.

“Every player, every person, has an objective in life. What’s mine? It’s soomething which I’ve never had, like everyone from Mali.

“We’re getting there step by step, and ‘Inshallah’ (‘God willing’) we’ll do it!”

The crowds will be out in force at Accra’s Ohene Djan stadium to welcome Ivory Coast’s captain Didier Drogba who scored the opening goal in the smooth 4-1 win over Benin.

After an openinig 1-0 win over Nigeria, Ivory Coast are on six points, and appproach this match with the comfort of being the first team to qualify.

For Drogba though it could be a tough match, for personal rather than professional reasons, as his wife is from Mali.

While Drogba will be there Kolo Toure, the Arsenal full back, will miss the tie after picking up a right leg injury against Benin-AFP

Remorseful Zambian soccer squad speaks out

‘ We’ll do better in remaining preliminary match against Egypt and in future games ’

AFTER a disastrous 1-5 defeat to Cameroun on Saturday, Zambia soccer team members have renewed their confidence and are now aiming at redeeming themselves in the last MTN African Cup of Nations Group C match against defending African champions, Egypt.

The players said in separate interviews that they were remorseful and found it difficult to explain their poor show against the ‘Indomitable Lions’, Cameroun and hope to surprise Egypt when the two clash at the Baba Yara sports stadium here on Wednesday.

Defender Clive Hachilensa, after the team’s morning training session at the Prempey College football ground, said while he thought it was difficult to say sorry to the fans at this stage, it was equally important to reflect on the match and ensure the inexcusable mistakes commited in defence during the match against Cameroun were not repeated.

“We know we disappointed the fans, but the only thing we can promise them is that we will do better in the remaining preliminary match against Egypt and in future games.

“We can only promise the fans that we will try to play better so that we pay back for the disappointing performance. Generally we played well, although we made a lot of mistakes and we were punished, but that is not what we planned for. We came here to win, but things turned out the way they did,” Hachilensa said.

He said miracles happen in football and that they were now ready to make amends and put Zambia back on track, though it would be an uphill battle against the Egyptians.

Asked if they were intimidated playing against most of the renowned names in European football, Hachilensa siad the players were not scared nor intimidated, but that he could not find the right words to describe how the mistakes were commited.

“The loss is history now. We are focusing on the next match and hope we remain in the competition. No team is unbeatable,” said Hachilensa, who was one of the culprits in defence against Zambia’s humiliating defeat.

And 21-year old African Cup debutant, Felix Sunzu, who came on as a substitute for striker James Chamanga, said the team seemed to have been demoralised after Cameroun scored the first goal and that Zambia could have won if the Indomitable Lions had not scored first.

Midfielder Clifford Mulenga, rated Zambia’s chances of beating Egypt as ‘very high’.
Mulenga attributed some of the lapses in defence to communication break-down among the defenders and the goalkeeper. -Times of Zambia

With South Africa facing exit, Parreira looks to future

South Africa’s African Nations Cup fate is out of their hands after Sunday’s crushing 3-1 loss to Tunisia, prompting coach Carlos Alberto Parreira to look to the future.

South Africa came to Ghana intent on showing the world and their continental neighbours they could put up a stout showing when the World Cup comes to town in 2010.

But after an opening 1-1 draw with Angola, South Africa, brutally exposed at the back against the Tunisians, seem destined to make a third consecutive first-round exit.

Bafana Bafana’s only hopes of continuing their stay in Ghana rests on their Group D rivals – if Tunisia and Angola draw on Thursday they will both go through at the expense of South Africa and Senegal.

Parreira, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 1994, reflected: “There’s still a mathematical possibility that we can qualify even if a draw between Tunisia and Angola means they go through.

“But we just have to get down to work and try to win our next match.”

Parreira, appointed on a 250,000 dollars a month salary, stressed that his side’s experience at this African Nations Cup would stand them in good stead as they build up to the World Cup in two years time.

“My players are young and what’s important is what they are going to do in the future.

“There is hope for this team.”

I don’t have any record of indiscipline-Tana

ZAMBIA soccer team defence kingpin, Elijah Tana, has refuted claims by FAZ that he is indisciplined and instead charged that his omission was a pre-conceived move.

Tana said in an interview yesterday that he had excelled in his football career because of his serious approach to the game.

“Football is my life, I started playing football a long time ago and I don’t have any record of indiscipline. I am what I am because of my attitude towards the game. I love soccer and I love playing for my country. I always yearn to play for Zambia,” he said.

Tana said the fact that he missed the flight on Christmas Day when the team travelled to Spain for a training stint should not dent his image and that dropping him from the squad was a pre-conceived idea.

“How many times have I missed flights? I am always there when called for national duties. Every player’s dream is to play for the national team and missing the flight to Spain was just blown out of proportion,” he said.

Tana added that it was not his intention to miss the flight and that it was unfortunate that he was dropped from the squad for his alleged indiscipline.

He said the reason why he missed the flight was due to the change of schedule as the team was initially earmarked to travel in the afternoon but the flight was changed to 07:30 hours in the morning.

All flights on December 25 were cancelled and the only available flight was the early morning Zambian Airways flight that the national soccer team used.

“It’s not that I wanted to miss the flight, no. It’s the change of schedule that caused that. I was only informed that the flight had been changed late in the night and I was in Chingola by then. I started off from Chingola the same night and by the time I reached Kabwe, it was raining heavily so I couldn’t continue driving. I parked for a while and

started off slowly in the rain but by the time I reached Lusaka International Airport around 08:00 hours the flight had already taken off and I couldn’t get on another plane because all the flights were cancelled that day,” he said.

Tana said despite his alleged indiscipline by some FAZ officials, he had not been summoned to appear before the disciplinary committee.

“Up to now, no one has called me for a disciplinary hearing. I wonder if this is the way an association that runs football on behalf of the 12 million soccer loving Zambians should behave,” he said.

The defence maestro who could not hide his rage at being dropped from the Africa Cup squad said he was very fit and ready to die hard for his country. -TIMES OF ZAMBIA

Unwanted Pfister set to steer Cameroon closer to glory
Otto Pfister, a coach Cameroon did not want, is poised to lead them into the 2008 African Nations Cup quarter-finals Wednesday.

The unpredictable ‘Indomitable Lions’ face Group C basement dwellers Sudan in this northern town knowing maximum points would guarantee a slot in the knockout phase unless third-placed Zambia stun leaders Egypt.

Four-time champions Cameroon bounced back from a 4-2 opening-match loss against title holders Egypt to humiliate Zambia 5-1 while Sudan suffered 3-0 defeats by Zambia and Egypt.

And the man masterminding the Cameroon revival is white haired German Pfister, at 70 the oldest coach in Ghana for the biennial showpiece of African football.

While superstar striker Samuel Eto’o chases a record 15th Nations Cup goal, Pfister wants to prove he is capable of leading Cameroon back the promised land after two quarter-finals exits in a row following back-to-back triumphs.

When football officials in the central Africa state sought a coach after comfortably winning a qualifying group last September, Pfister did not make a short list of five that included Frenchman Philippe Troussier.

But sports minister Augustin Edjoa intervened and offered seasoned African campaigner Pfister a three-year contract, a 40,000-dollar salary, and six months’ pay in advance.

Cameroon Football Federation president Mohammed Iya attended the signing ceremony, but did not initial the contract, and the government decision drew widespread media criticism.

After his late appointment and considerable public hostility, problems mounted for Pfister when a training camp in Kenya was cancelled owing to post-election violence in the east Africa country.

A training camp was hastily arranged in Burkina Faso, including friendlies against leading local clubs, but Cameroon were the only qualifiers for the 16-team Nations Cup not to stage at least one warm-up international game.

Although Pfister publicly accepted a seven-day delay in the arrival of Barcelona star Eto’o for pre-tournament training, it clearly did not help an already severely harassed coach with experience in numerous African nations.

His previous stop was Sudan, where he guided Omdurman giants Al-Merreikh to the 2007 African Confederation Cup final before quitting to become the latest in a long list of foreigners to coach the ‘Lions’.

With Merreikh supplying 11 of the 23-strong Sudan squad, and Omdurman neighbours Al-Hilal the other 12, Pfister will not require any pre-match scouting reports on their final group opponents.

Tipped by Egypt coach Hassan Shehata as potential champions, Sudan have been the flops of the tournament with a much-improved showing against Egypt diluted by a late collapse in which two goals were conceded.

A Ritshard Lado-led defence has not looked comfortable under pressure, captain Haitham Mustafa has failed to stamp his authority on midfield and leading scorer Faisal Agab was axed after a woeful showing against Zambia.

Tamale may have been the scene of the biggest upset to date as Angola stung Senegal 3-1 last Sunday, but only the bravest of punters would bet against Cameroon avenging a 1970 loss in the only previous clash with Sudan.