Former Zambia National Team striker Collins Mbesuma has expressed disappointment over Chipolopolo’s heavy defeat to continental rivals South Africa.

The Chipolopolo boys suffered a 3-1 loss to Bafana Bafana in their first international friendly match over the weekend, being outplayed for most of the game and failing to register a single shot on target in the first half. South Africa continued their dominance in the second half, leaving Zambia with little chance to fight back.

Speaking exclusively to Bolanews, Mbesuma voiced his dismay over the performance.

“The game against South Africa was very embarrassing to see Bafana Bafana dominating like no man’s business. I know South Africa has developed a lot, but I didn’t expect that much because, you know, our history with South Africa is pound-for-pound, and Zambia always comes out on top. Even when we lose, it’s 1-0, but it was a tough game,” he said.

He also criticized the coaching decisions during the match.

“What I saw was not good for our nation going forward, and on top of that, I was expecting our front three to be substituted during halftime so that we can try new faces. At halftime we didn’t have any shots at goal, so I was expecting the technical bench to remove them at halftime. Let’s try new faces, and also we need to protect our own like Patson Daka,” Mbesuma noted.

The ex-Kaizer Chiefs striker further highlighted the lack of cohesion upfront.

“The combination play upfront is not good at all; it’s like in front you just want to do whatever you want to do. There is no coordination; we just run forward. Whatever happens has happened. There is no passing pattern going forward like South Africa was doing,” he added.

The match served as part of Zambia’s preparations for the upcoming AFCON tournament, scheduled for December 2025 in Morocco. The Chipolopolo are set to play their second international friendly against Angola this evening in Luanda.

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