Zambianfootball.net

In the last few weeks local mining companies on the Copperbelt have withdrawn their sponsorship to clubs citing the global credit crunch as the reason. Giants and league sponsors Konkola Copper Mine have cut it’s annual package for the league from K1 Billion Kwacha to half while Mopani and Luanshya Copper Mine have pulled out sponsoring Nkana, Mufulira Wanderers and Roan United.

But the shock of this çredit crunch’ is that Zambia has dropped sixteen places on the Coca Cola/FIFA World ranking and is now placed 92 on the World stage and for fisrt time in over 15 years the ‘Rubber Bullets’ are outside the top 20 on the continental ranking sitting on position 24. This is Zambia’s worst ever ranking.

Gone are the days when one would name the starting line-up! Above the KK11 not Chipolopolo….CopperBullets or as they are known now as RubberBullets pose for a photo at Independence Stadium.

One fan from the Copperbelt sent the photo below and wrote these words, These were the days when we were so proud of the national team. I don’t think many can say that for the current rubber bullets. More money being spent but poor results

Back Row L-R: Efford Chabala, Stone Nyirenda, Derby Makinka, Charles Musonda, Eston Mulenga & Wisdom Chansa

Front Row L-R:Whiteson Changwe, John Soko, Great Kau, Lucky Msiska & Ashios Melu

According to the latest rankings released on Wednesday by FIFA, Zambia’s 1-0 loss to South Africa was the only match which was taken into account. The Cecafa Cup matches in which the Herve Renard charges recorded only one win from four matches did not play a role in determining the rankings.

Zambia’s highest FIFA ranking came in the month of February in 1996 just after finishing third at the 1996 African Cup of Nations in South Africa.