By Kennedy Gondwe
Zambia coach Sven Vandenbroeck says the national team, Chipolopolo, has no option but to beat visitors Guinea Bissau on Wednesday in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
The 2012 African champions are three points behind joint Group K leaders Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau who are on four apiece.
After losing their first qualifying match against Mozambique last year and drawing against Namibia last month, the Chipolopolo are now playing catch up and Mr Vandenbroeck knows anything less than a win against Guinea-Bissau will end the country’s hopes for qualification.
The Belgian told the BBC:
Quote Message: “It’s crucial. It’s a double game against one of the group leaders so it’s crucial that we win. It’s not a question of whether we can win or not; we just have to.
“It’s crucial. It’s a double game against one of the group leaders so it’s crucial that we win. It’s not a question of whether we can win or not; we just have to.
Quote Message: “I don’t have much information about Guinea especially in their tactical play. I know the names and that most of their players play in Portugal so tactically they’ll be a bit organised but it will be up to us to break that.”
“I don’t have much information about Guinea especially in their tactical play. I know the names and that most of their players play in Portugal so tactically they’ll be a bit organised but it will be up to us to break that.”
Zambia has had a mixed run of fortunes in the last six years.
After winning the continental crown in 2012, they bombed out in the first round of the following two editions of the competition.
They then failed to qualify for the 2017 finals won by Cameroon. Mr Vandenbroeck was working as assistant coach to the former head coach, Hugo Broos, at the time.
But Mr Vandenbroeck is modest about his approach to the upcoming game at Lusaka’s Heroes Stadium.
“I have no personal ambition but I share that ambition of everybody and that is to qualify for the Africa Cup,” he said.
“That’s also the ambition of the players, the country and the federation.” BBC News
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