Xavier Manchishi
2 December 2011
NATIONAL soccer team coach Herve Renard has told senior players to pull up their socks or risk being left out of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) squad.
Speaking at the Kenneth Kaunda International airport in Lusaka on arrival from India yesterday, the Frenchman said he would only pick players who deserve to be in the team regardless of experience or status of the player.
He said with the kind of competition in the team, selection for Gabon/Equatorial Guinea will be interesting and warned players to fight for places or be left out of the January 21 to February 12 AFCON finals to be jointly hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
He indicated that there could be room for some players from the development squad that travelled to the two-match tour of India, adding that all the 23 players going to the AFCON would have to fight places.
“Everybody is in competition for places in the team and you saw who scored in India, you saw their names and this makes selecting the final team to Africa Cup very interesting,” he said.
He also admitted that the two matches played in the Far East were not against the best teams in the world but was still impressed with the performance of the players and singled out the Under-20 players who were on top of their game.
Renard was also happy with the senior players he retained in the squad to provide the experience and singled out Felix Katongo whose commitment to the cause was inspirational to the youngsters.
“After the game against Nigeria, I wanted to see how the young players can respond. These two games in India were not against the best teams in the world. It was good,” he said.
Red hot teenage striker Bruce Musakanya whose impressive debut hat-trick against India on Tuesday might as well have seen him force his way into the AFCON-bound squad.
Musakanya said he would continue working hard to earn the Frenchman’s confidence of selecting him into the team.
Asked whether he thinks he has done enough to be on the plane to Gabon and Equatorial Guinea come January, the Red Arrows striker said only Renard was in a position to decide on that but declared himself ready for the challenge.
“I will continue with my hard work on the pitch, it is for the coach to decide whether I merit a place in the team for the Africa Cup. I know it is very difficult to break into the senior team but I am happy to have played a part in India,” he said.
Goalkeeper Kalililo Kakonje described the tour as a morale booster, especially for the younger players who were given a chance to get some game time and stake a claim for places in the squad proper.
The TP Mazembe stopper added that winning in India was important for the team spirit going into the crucial part of preparing for the AFCON, especially for the youthful players who were making their national team debut.
Delegation leader, Lenny Nkhuwa thanked Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) for sponsoring the team to India describing the company as an all-weather friend to Zambian football.
She also down played assertions that cricket-crazy India was a wrong choice for a friendly match, saying the two games the development Chipolopolo side played in Delhi were very competitive and a good run out for the fringe players.
“The coach wanted to assess as many players which he did at very good facilities. The games were competitive; people should not just look at the emphatic scoreline,” she said adding that it was an honour for India to have considered Zambia for their preparations for the South Asia Football Federations (SAFF) Cup that kicks-off today.
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