Zambia – The country, the football
The Republic of Zambia, better known as Zambia, is a landlocked country situated in the south of the African continent. It is surrounded by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola.
Its population reaches an estimate of 12,935,000 people, and its size is said to be over 752,000 km2. Zambia is actually an ex-British colony which gained its independence in 1964.
The country’s national football team, formally known as the Northern Rhodesia national football team, now carries the name “Chipolopolo”; which means “Copper Bullets” in English.
Among Zambia’s best moments in football are when they reached twice the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in 1974 and 1994, but unluckily, the Chipolopolo failed on both occasions to hold the prestigious African trophy.
Zambia are already qualified to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations’ finals in Angola, and this time, they will be wishing to be crowned as African champions for the first time in their history; regardless of their unconvincing campaigns in the tournament these past few years.
Zambia – The road to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations finals
The Second Round was where Zambia kicked-off their qualification run for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, and before this stage, the Chipolopolo had found the Pot B during the draw.
The Group 11 – containing Togo, Swaziland, and Eritrea – was then given to them, but their group was however reduced to 3 challengers after Eritrea withdrew from the qualifiers on March 25 2008. Their replacement didn’t take place.
Surprisingly, despite having the likes of key players such as Emmanuel Adebayor and Beye, Togo were incapable of finishing in first position of their table. Zambia then stole the advantage to ensure a place in the Third Round with 7 points out of 4 games played (including 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss for the Chipolopolo).
In the Third Round, Zambia were thrown in Pot 3 before the draw, and as a result, their chances of escaping big matches were highly decreased.
Subsequently, they landed in Group C, where Algeria, Egypt, and Rwanda were all placed. There, Zambia had 3 losses, 2 draws, and a single win; but this was enough for them to take the third place of the table with 5 points, and therefore secure a place in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations’ finals in Angola.
Zambia – 2010 Africa Cup of Nations group stage
Once again, Pot 3 was theirs ahead of the draw for the tournament’s finals which took place on November 20 2009, in Luanda.
Also in Pot 3 were Benin, Algeria, and Togo; hence, these were countries the Chipolopolo could not face in the competition’s group stage.
Conversely, Zambia went on to arrive in Group D, meeting top seeds Cameroon, as well as Gabon and Tunisia.
Clearly, it doesn’t take a Zambian fan to admit that this is truly a tough group to be in; nevertheless, this could be the perfect test to rate the level of self-belief of the Zambian national football team.
Match-day 1:
Zambia will meet Tunisia on January 13 2010, in Lubango, at 18:30 GMT.
The Tunisians are known for their strength in attack through their striker Dos Santos, and as quarterfinalists in 2008, the Chipolopolo will need to stand their grounds to resist any harsh defeat.
Match-day 2:
A match against Cameroon will be Zambia’s second challenge of the tournament in Lubango. This game is scheduled to start at 18:30 GMT, on January 17 2010.
Cameroon will certainly be powered by the likes of big African stars including Samuel Eto’o, Geremi, and Carlos Kameni – and this is perhaps not a fact the Zambians would want to omit; considering the fact that big stars often love to shine.
Wisely, it would be better for the Chipolopolo to try to play their own game, and forget about the forces on the opposing side. Already, Zambia were heavily destroyed by the Indomitable Lions back in 2008 during the Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana; and they surely wouldn’t like to allow such a disturbing moment to happen again this time around.
Match-day 3:
On January 21, Zambia will have their last group stage encounter of the competition against Gabon, at 16:00 GMT.
Gabon were given the Pot 4 in the draw previous to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations’ finals, and this shows how badly the Gabonese have been estimated in Africa recently.
Normally, the Zambians should be able to come on top of their opponents in this particular match, as both teams’ strength look comparable.
Zambia – Quick Analysis: Expectations from the country and its top stars
Just like Benin, Burkina Faso, or Mozambique, Zambia don’t have any ace to lean on. Throughout the qualifiers, their fans’ hopes have been lying in their national team’s coach; as he currently seems to be the best man to handle any trouble regarding the Chipolopolo.
Hervé Renard:
Hervé Renard is a French man who was appointed as Zambia’s national team coach in May 2008. He became the assistant coach of former Ghana manger Claude Le Roy in 2007, helping the Black Stars to get a bronze medal at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. Hervé Renard now has a greater task ahead of him, as his new fans in Zambia are looking forward to enjoying memorable moments in Angola.
Zambia - Africa Cup of Nations squad
Goalkeepers:
J. Banda; K. Kalililo; K. Mweene
Defenders:
D. Banda; K. Chintu; H. Himoonde; E. Mbola; J. Musonda; T. Nyirenda; S. Sunzu
Midfielders:
I. Chansa; N. Chivuta; R. Kalaba; F. Kasonde; C. Katongo; W. Njobvu
Attackers:
J. Chamanga; E. Mayuka; C. Mbesuma; C. Mulenga; J. Mulenga; G. Singuluma
Zambia – Africa Cup of Nations record
The Zambians have taking part in the Africa Cup of Nations tournament 14 times, including their qualification for the competition’s 2010 edition.
Below, we take a look at Zambia’s record in the tournament’s history.
2010: Qualified as participants
2008, 2006, 2002, 2000, 1998, 1986, 1978: Round 1
1996, 1990, 1982: Third place
1994, 1974: Second Place
1992: Quarterfinals
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