By Felix Mutambo
THE Zambia national team’s dwindling performance is due to lack of coordination between the technical bench and players, Zambia Sports Fans Association (ZASPOFA) Patron Peter Makembo has charged.
Commenting on the disastrous outing by the Under-20 men’s national team at the ongoing 2023 AFCON tournament in Egypt where they were booted out of the tournament in the first round, Makembo has told The Scoop that more needs to be done if the country is to rekindle the old flame.
He says the success of a football team is largely tied to team work where the technical bench and players play important but different roles collectively.
“As a major stakeholder in the Zambia national team, I have noticed the lack coordination and confidence between the technical bench and players as the major challenge in our football standards today,” Makembo said.
He adds that in 2012, team spirit, confidence, and calmness even under pressure prevailed over the senior national team and that the players managed to win the AFCON tournament for the first time as a result but that the current stuttering performance of the national men teams at all levels is evidence of the lack of the urge to do better.
Meanwhile, Makembo has pleaded with fans not to give up on the national teams saying this is just a phase which shall come to pass.
He has also urged the senior national team players to rise to the occasion in the upcoming match against Lesotho in the Africa Cup of Nations Group H, qualification match billed for the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium on 23rd March, 2023.
