Zambia: Work Extra Hard, Bonetti Urges Chipolopolo

29 March 2011

Coach Dario Bonetti has called for more hard work from his team despite beating Mozambique 2-0 to assume leadership of Group C during Sunday’s Orange 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Estrada Machava Stadium in Maputo.

In an interview yesterday Bonetti urged the team to now focus on qualification and that they should not underrate their opponents in the group saying there were no small teams in football nowadays.

The Italian-born trainer said he was happy with the overall performance of the team and that the victory has assured his team of qualification to the 2012 AFCON tournament having lost 0-1 to Libya.

Bonetti said he was happy that his team recovered well from last year’s defeat to Libya, which meant Zambia losing out on qualification had the team lost on Sunday, but now qualification was on the Chipolopolo boys side.

The team should continue working hard to ensure they win the home match against Mozambique. Bonetti said team work won them the match as the players showed a lot of mentality.

“We shall not underrate any team at this stage we have reached because there are no longer small teams in the competition. I am happy with the performance of the team and we are now back in contention for a place at the finals,” he said.

The win was important for the team and that the team was getting better with time. He said what was important was to get the result but promised to work on the attack which he said lost concentration at times.

Skipper Christopher Katongo said the win had brought back the much-needed morale in the team following the defeat to Libya.

Katongo said the team was now looking forward to the upcoming matches starting with the home match against Mozambique tentatively set for June 4.

And former Zambian coach Herve Renard has congratulated Chipolopolo for defeating Mozambique.

Renard, who is now coaching five-time Algeria league champions USM Alger where he is being assisted by countryman Patrice Beaumelle, said from Algiers on Sunday night that victory was good for Zambia.

He said what Zambia needed to do now was to maintain the top spot in the group and qualify to next year’s Africa Cup that will be jointly hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Renard, who described his new job as exciting, wished Zambia the best of luck in the Chipolopolo’s Africa Cup campaign and future assignments.

A 15th minute goal by striker James Chamanga of Chinese side Dalian Shide and a stoppage time clincher by substitute striker Emmanuel Mayuka of Young Boys in Switzerland stunned the home crowd to steer Zambia to the summit of the group with six points.

Chipolopolo Soccer Fans Association (CSFA) chairperson Yotam Mwanza also sent a congratulatory message to the team for winning the match and urged the team to prepare adequately for the upcoming matches.

Libya, who are on joint four points with Mozambique, were by press time hosting bottom placed the Comoros Islands in Mali’s capital Bamaka.

AllAfrica – All the Time