One of the greatest golfers of all time Sam Snead once said, “The mark of a great player is in his ability to come back. The great champions have all come back from defeat”.
This is a similar situation that Zambia’s U20 team faces in Egypt in this evening’s ‘must win’ match against Tunisia at the Cairo International Stadium with both teams needing victory to reach the quarterfinals.
An uninspiring start against Benin, which ended 1-1 and a 2-0 defeat to the Gambia in their penultimate group C match, left the former African champions bottom in the group with nothing less than maximum points against the young Carthage Eagles enough to see them through to the last eight.
The target has been clear from the word go for the players and their coaches, to qualify for the Indonesia 2023 World Cup by reaching the last four. This is a message that has played repeatedly in the ears of the players, they know it better than they know the song, ‘Zambia Ku Chalo’.
They are alive to the fact that the AFCON is a platform that has changed the lives of several players not only from Zambia but the continent as a whole. Dozens of scouts, some from the best leagues in world football have their eyes affixed to Egypt to identify the next big soccer players.
This is how the likes of Fashion Sakala, Enock Mwepu, Emmanuel Banda and Edward Chilufya made their way to Europe, shining at AFCON and the rest followed. Since then, they have never been the same again. Six years on, they are still in Europe, getting the needed game time and representing their motherland as professional players, not to mention the amounts they make.
The current crop of U20 players all have an opportunity to make their own name, write their own history and sign their own contracts with good teams but this is only possible if they rise to the occasion in tonight’s ‘do or die’ game as goalkeeper Jeban Tembo has described the match.
He, together with the rest of the players that include the uncompromising Gift Mphande, Happy Nsiku, enterprising Julius Kumwenda, skipper Dominic Kanda, Amon Chulu, Lombe Mutale, the mesmerising Charles Mumba Majapa, Derrick Bulaya, Songa Chipyoka and hard on the ball, Peter Chikola, have their futures in their hands.
Not forgetting the likes of Levison Banda, Mathews Banda, Lackson Tembo, Onesmus Chipango, Henry Mbuti, Rickson Ng’ambi, Ian Sindaye, Kingstone Mutandwa, Emmanuel Mukosha, Eric Makungu, Moses Mulenga and pea sized Lesmond Phiri. All these are players that can deliver that victory if they play their hearts out.
If their meeting with FAZ Technical Director Lyson Zulu is anything to go by, victory is certain for the boys. Having flown into Egypt on Saturday afternoon, Zulu did not waste time to call the boys for an after-dinner meeting, speaking to them as a friend and leader. Looking at the boys after that meeting pointed at one thing, confidence had been restored after a defeat against the Gambia that left millions back home disappointed.
The team had their last session at the Jewel Sport City and Aqua Resort in Cairo ahead of the match, which kicks off at 19:00hrs this evening.
Chisi Mbewe and his technical bench have two huge tasks, reach the last four as earlier promised and restore confidence in the 12th player, the fans who have not hesitated to show their displeasure on social media. Let me not forget to mention that Zambia has about 19million coaches.
If indeed Snead’s words are to come to fruition for Zambia, the boys will need to rise to the occasion. All Zambia needs to advance is victory regardless of the result between the Gambia and Benin.
By Nchimunya Ng’andu in Cairo, Egypt
