Renard: I’m no quitter
- Friday, January 30, 2009, 13:54
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NATIONAL team coach Hervé Renard says he has no intentions of resigning.
Renard, who has been silent for the past four days, said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that he wants to continue drilling the Zambian team.
On Monday, Renard refused to travel with the national team to Pretoria for the friendly against South Africa.
The Frenchman said he has never hinted at resigning and that he was against the idea of people speaking on his behalf.
“I have never said that I want to leave but if I want to leave I can leave,” Renard said.
He said he had a good working relationship with Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Kalusha Bwalya adding that the two talked at lengthy last week.
Asked on whether he was having problems with some FAZ officials, Renard responded “I am working well with the president (Kalusha) we discusses a lot when he was in the country and I never said I want to leave,”
He said he had a mission to lead the team to Ivory Coast for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) that kicks on February 22.
Renard said he would be traveling to Ndola tomorrow to watch the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League match between Zesco United and Mathare United of Kenya as part of his continued assessment of players for the CHAN finals.
“Right now my focus is on building a strong team for CHAN and I don’t want people to continue speaking for me,” he said.
Renard however, said people were free to talk because they did not know his vision for Zambian soccer.
“It is impossible for people to understand my vision but I am still coach for the national team,” he said.
On Monday Renard caused panic among FAZ officials when he refused to travel to South Africa.
Last Friday, Renard threatened not to travel to South Africa if Zesco United continued holding on to their players.
Renard summoned goalkeeper Jacob Banda, defender Nyambe Mulenga, strikers Jonas Sakuwaha and Jackson Mwanza but only Banda was released.
Zesco secretary Justin Mumba said they did not want to risk players ahead of tomorrow’s African Champions League preliminary round match against Mathare United of Kenya.
The Frenchman was also frustrated following the exodus of five national team players to Europe, less than a month before the start of the CHAN finals in Ivory Coast.
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Renard owes the nation an explanation for missing the game against south Africa and Faz should find a way to punish Him…!!!! Coaches is the world are sometimes even punished for comment the make or missing press conferences after the game….!!
The continued stay of Renard as a coach of Zambia is not good for Zambian soccer.Zambia played very disjointed football on tuesday here because of the tactics of this useless coach.Go to where you come from Renard and Zambia does not need you as its coach.We were very disappointed with how Zambia played against South Africa and this is in sharp contrast to the way Zambia played against South Africa in the qualifying match of the African cup of nations 2008 in Cape Town.
If there is one good thing now, hold the dogs, it might be the French man. Renard, if people don’t know your vision, please do well by communicating a little more of it, also keep your cards because you might need to play them.
Comments reserved for now.
I for one supported the appointment of this guy last year.But sad to say i think the man has not done much for our team.We seem to be moving from bad to worse under HR.
Chipolopolo 1 for sure he needs to tell us the real reason he pulled that stunt on Monday.
I support HR, a coach must have all the powers to select players, tell them not to for trials etc. Why should Marsha sneak in his kid? That is the difference between expart and local, local coaches just do what they are told to do.
Hey People,you should accept change!.Rome was never built in one yr.This same coach we despise today may perform wonders tomorrow.There have been several coaches at National Team without Success.Recently,it was Phiri,and what happened?,he was rescued on the last minute to qualifying for CAN2008 by Chris Katongo who amazingly scored those Goals.I dont know what would hve been said of him had he failed the second time,coz he had previously failed to qualify the team for CAN finals held in Tunisia when we were crobbered by little known Benin 4-0,when we needed just a draw.The other yrs,it was Ben Bamfuchile,who took us to CAN in Nigeria and he was technically inferior (Everybody saw that).So,it takes time for someone to mould a winning team,most epecially that the players are scattered.And our current players are lazy,ignorant of modern football and they luck commitment to defend the flag of Mother Zambia(e.g,complaining over allowances when you are invited to an international friendly).Its a shame!.
The problem with Zambians is that you expect immediate results. You cannot reap what you have not sown. Let the guy do his job.
I agree with you The Chief. Zambians want immediate results. They are also very fickle. They want to be a footballing power but don’t want to do and make the sacrifices necessary to achieve success.
let giv him time
I’d rather retain Renard and waste tax payers money, than continue doing the same on the nonsense that is coming out of NCC-Ati an MP once ejected from a party should become independent (Munaile) and the rejection of presidential running mates ati because they’ll bewitch the president (Namulambe). And to think that these are the people that were and are running our sports makes me sad!
Lets help this guy as fans to get the National Team prepped for the CHAN tournament. This whole deal of playing armchair critic is not going to get us anywhere. He may not be the Coach everyone wants but he is who we have for now and we have to let him do his job. The insults and all the negative talk is not helping anyone. The problem with our football as many on this forum have indicated goes beyond the Coach. Our perennial failure in Club Continental competitions is a testament to just how big this problem is. Till we fix whats wrong with our league, players/coaches/fans mentality, organization, infrustructure and professionalism , even Fergie or Jose would fail under the present conditions
The Chief and Jaggari are correct ! Give the coach some time. We have had worse coaches and they stayed on forever. He doesn’t have much to work with and he did not find any structure in place, with regards to the development of soccer talent!!!!!
Give him some time nigga’s!!!!!!!
Meanwhile, excellent job by the administrators of this website !
Logic, you talking sense too !!!
renard is the ryt man for the job, anybody else will just leave like that brazillian Parriera did in SA.
the level of talent in the country at the moment is at an all time low. i as much as any body else should not expect much from the side in the Ivory coast. 90%of the players used in qualification will not be available for the finals so GO GO CHIPOLOPOLO wateva which way we go.
Sorry Ba Willie, you have every right to your opinion and every right to express your views, it was nothing personal against you. I just wanted to try balance the argument before it became very one sided and then deteriorated into angry protest. I’m glad you took it so well, all credit to you. Yes, it is not about who is right and wrong, I’m happy to be wrong if it means positive things for Zambia. Respect to you ba Willie.
I do not know what to make out of the whole film. An Oscar to FAZ and HR for taking Zambian football to Holywood
soccer starts at grassroots as we all know, look at the conditions and facilities our players play in . My recent visit to Zambia and in particular a Division one South game was an experience . I was shocked to see the state of the fields in such an extremely worse condition, looked more like a grassland with full of bumps, patches of sand and potholes . Surely Division one in Zambia in this condition . What suprises me is that these same fields that teams use are never taken care of . These players and officials continue using them till they are completely destroyed and beyond use. Typical Zambian attitude . And as a zambian it feels shameful .Imagine calling a team drom England I play for to come visit and play teams in Zed. It would be laughing stock .
We zambians should take the inititative to maintain our fields . No one will do it for us . Grassroots soccer should be where we start , but we also need much better facilities . A coach can never change a players touch , pass and control at 20 , its too late , they things need to be taught at the age of 10 . Bring Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger and Zambia will still fail . Its all about grass roots .
‘GIVE ME PLAYERS, TO PREPARE 4 CHAN NOW. I DON’T WANT GO 2 SA 4 HOLIDAY’ these ar the words he used. Lets be fair, it not the coach but the tech. Committee and individuals in faz. They always give him raw players. As a coach, he has the right to say to some player and yes to some, depending on his judgement on what he calls quality.
I find Zambians living abroad to be more sympathetic and understanding on the coaches position. Why is that? There is a patern here. I will be elated if zambia wins more than one game at CHAN. DON’T BLAME THE COACH. Remember this day, he asked for players early and football politics interfered.
Namulambe didn’t do well as Sports Minister, am only short of calling him a failure; he failed to complete renovations of our traditional football butcher ground-the independence stadium of Lusaka province (weeeeeleeeeeehhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!, have you ever been there all of you my brothers in football on this wonderful website; have you ever witnessed it together with the most ordinary Zambians from the eyes of gate D) saying the local contractors are expensive. You better be more concerned with engineering standards sir, otherwise you will do well to build capacity of the local construction industry. At NCC Namulambe is now talking witchcraft at the expense of moving our country to the next level of civilisation, are we not comfortable in being Christians-superstitious man he’s the one who started the Mayuka witch hunt.
when i heard dat renard has resigned, i was da happiest man on earth. now i dont know wats keeepin him long 2 leave.
Eish….i was hoping he would resign
Is the last paragraph in the artclie suggesting that all those players left without permission?
I don’t know what to make of the Renard saga. I am for giving him time, but we have to admit, standards seem to have gotten worse under his watch. This is why he needs to articulate his vision. That goes for Kalu and his executive, because right now we seem to have a big mess on our hands.