THE Chipolopolo was the team to beat when the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations tournament kicked-off in South Africa. So it was no surprise that there was a high standard of competition in Group C which also had Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and Nigeria.
With the exception of a few players, Zambia maintained almost the entire squad that lifted the Africa Cup of Nations title in 2012 and was undefeated at the tournament, stretching the record to nine matches without defeat at the finals tournament since losing to Nigeria on post-match penalties at the quarter final stage of the 2010 AFCON in Angola.
The 3-2 loss recorded on 17th January 2010 against Cameroon was the last time Zambia lost a match in regulation time at the finals tournament. Zambian players bowed out of the 2013 AFCON picking only three points from three matches, not enough to see them through to the knock out stage.
The ghost that showed its ugly face at the time we were reigning champions has now entered our camp to confuse everything and since then, it has been a disaster. When Zambia embarrassed us at the 2013 AFCON, the great Kalu was in office, remember? He did not use his magic that his blind followers think he possesses to turn pour fortunes overnight. The only difference is that since then, we have never qualified for AFCON but the performance has always been as disastrous as the 2013 AFCON finals feat.
Yes Andrew Kamanga is a proven failure. The results are there for all to see but to think that our solution is Kalu is a farce. Zambian football right now needs neither Kalu nor Kamanga. What we need now is a revolutionist who will revitalize Zambian football by investing in grassroot football where talent identification is at the centre. We have players who can deliver but most of the talent is laying idle deep in the rural areas.
So, hush Kalu supporters and you bunch of biased reporters who still have this primitive way of thinking Zambian football starts and ends with Kalu. He had his own time, let us move on. This is not time to cry over past glory. It is time to find solutions to our current predicament and we must demand for no business-as-usual approach from FAZ. They must wake up and stop this nonsense.
