George Lwandamina endured a miserable audition for the top job as the Chipolopolo were held to a goaless draw by minnows Guinea-Bissau in the opening Group E qualifying match for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, played in Ndola on Saturday.
Goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene saw his stoppage time penalty saved by his counterpart Jonas Mendez following a handball in the area by substitute Ibrahima So.
Zambia dominated the game throughout but struggled to create meaningful chances against a Guinea Bissau side that had set themselves out for a draw.
The Chipolopolo were denied a clear penalty midway through the second half when teenage striker Patson Daka was brought down by goalkeeper Mendez when through on goa, but the referee inexplicably blew for a corner.
Even the introductions of Fwayo Tembo and Chisamba Lungu failed to inspire any change until the dying seconds when the home side were awarded a penalty after the Guinea defender handled substitute Lubambo Musonda’s cross.
However, gatekeeper Kennedy Mweene, who had virtually been on holiday throughout the match, contrived to shoot tamely at the guinea gatekeeper in what proved to be the final chance of the game.
The result left the two sides tied on one point apiece with the other two sides in the group, Congo and Kenya, playing each other on Sunday.
Zambia coach George Lwandamina described the start to the campaign as sad.
“It is a sad beginning because we wanted to win this match. Our boys did all they could but we could not get a goal to wrap up the game because our opponents decided to defend in numbers. In short, they packed the bus. But there are lessons to be learnt and we shall make changes where necessary in our next match,” Lwandamina said.
Lwandamina’s counterpart Paulo Torres who was sent to the stands in stoppage time following an altercation with the fourth official said he was happy with the result.
” It is a good result for us because we managed to hold one of Africa’s top teams to a goalless draw. It gives us a good platform to build on and for our players who play in Europe to gain some respect in Africa.
“We are also happy because our team has never qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations so this result will give us confidence for the future,” said Torres.
Zambia’s next match against Kenya is during the weekend of 4th to 6th September, 2015.
The team which finishes top of the group will join twelve group winners for the final tournament to be hosted by Gabon in 2017. Two runners-up among four-team groups with the best records will also qualify.
As long as we keep experimenting with the team. we r doomed! how do you place the entire cream of the game on the bench? George is proving to be even more foolish than Janza! And this is the guy i had faith in!
I said it. Zambians were over-confident believing that Guinea Bissau was a minnow who could be beaten with eyes closed. Guineans were extremely tactical – defend en masse – and it paid off. The coach did not read this and did not change tactics at break. Our coach just stood on touchline and was watching like a spectator. I did not see him even once shouting instructions from the touchline. He was emotionless. He is no different from Janza in that he is also talking of lessons being learnt. In fact it should have been the other way round – Guineans should have learnt a lesson from Zambia as 2012 champions.
From what I saw, we will be lucky to find ourselves at the finals and, if we do, by fluke, we will again be knocked out in the first round, unless something is done between now and then to up our game. But I don’t know what it will take. In the 1970s and eighties Zambia was a no-go area for most teams. In fact the only teams that were an obvious threat to Zambia were those from North Africa. West African teams were not so much of a threat, especially when they played in Zambia where wins were guaranteed. Southern and East African teams were no march. I ca’t believe it when teams like Namibia and Lesotho or Swaziland can humiliate Zambia.
I told you that Lwandamina cant make a decision he is slow thinker that is his problem he can sit on a bench throughout the game you not see him stand up I worked with him and the guy cant change. He is a colonial coach no matter what the guy cant not change he requires to change his mind set football has changed. He is likely to do more damage to the team. Lets wait and c.
We are back to Janza days, ” there lessons to be learnt”. When are we going to stop learning by our local coaches?
And why is that commentators & fans see mistakes in the team but our coaches fail to do so. Lwandamina was just a mere damn spectator on the touch line through out the match.