What looked like an easy game on paper, proved to be a difficult one for Moses Sichone’s men. A lot was expected from the defending champions who couldn’t quite live up to the billing. It was a lackluster start to their title defense.
Zambia orchestrated their own downfall with an own goal from Aaron Kateba in the first stanza. They showed flashes of brilliance but failed to put the ball in the back of the net.
Speaking after the game, Sichone said “Its a tough evening for us, we wanted to start the tournament on a good note but unfortunately we lost the game.”
He added, “we just need to work on the mistakes that we made today. I have been saying we have got a lot of young players who we are trying to gain a bit of experience and some of them did not do well.”
Sichone expressed disappointment with how the Chipolopolo Boys easily lost possession, especially in the first half.
“We need to encourage the boys. We cannot always win games… Some [of the players] are still young and this is a way we have to build them up,” he said.
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A tasty affair is on the horizon when Zambia take on Comoros in their next game in Group B, a loss could prove critical.
“The first games are always important, when you win the first game you get the confidence in the tournament,” said Sichone.
“The result didn’t go as planned, we just have to forget about this game and focus on the next game.”
Following the defeat, Zambia is now third in Group B, with Comoros in first place. Malawi are in second with three points while Seychelles are bottom of the group with no point.
