Ian Bakala’s Zambia U-17 men’s national team defeated Angola 2-1 in the final on Friday in South Africa, thanks to heroics from Abel Nyirongo in the closing minutes.
Nyirongo took the lead in the seventh minute, but Jonathan Kalimina’s regrettable own goal in the 44th minute gave Angola the equaliser shortly before halftime.
With the match heading for extra time, Nyirongo struck in the 90th minute to seal the win and claim the tournament’s Golden Boot with seven goals.
Speaking after the match, Bakala emphasized the importance of retaining the title and credited his players for their determination.
“Our plan was just to keep the cup and defend it. I had confidence because we were champions, and I think any team wanted to beat us, but as champions, no matter how they play, we just have to get the points and win the game. We mentored the boys very well during the two weeks we stayed in Zambia,” Bakala said.
Reflecting on the hard-fought victory, he added:
“Credit goes to the players. I think they have worked so hard. It wasn’t an easy game looking at the way Angola were playing. The preparation wasn’t that much, but I’m happy the trophy has gone back to our country, which is good.”
Bakala revealed that even before the tournament began, the team had strategized how to handle South Africa, whom they beat 2-1 in the semifinal to secure their place in the final and qualification for the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
“The semifinals, even if the tournament was far, we knew we would meet South Africa. Our target was to beat them. We worked on the fitness level of the players. We were not looking at how they would play, their passing football, or not,” he explained.
With the recent successes of Zambia’s senior men’s, U-20 men’s, and senior women’s national teams in qualifying for continental tournaments, the U-17 side was under immense pressure to deliver. Bakala remained confident in his team’s ability.
‘It’s very important for us. If you have seen, all the national teams have qualified for the Africa Cup, and we were the ones remaining. I had confidence that Zambia was going to qualify. From the beginning, when I saw the U-20 boys qualifying, I knew that even we were going to qualify. Going forward, I think we just have to work extra hard,” he said.
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