Zambia Kicks Off COSAFA Chase Against Mozambique ZAMBIA today begin their hunt for the fourth Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Castle Senior Challenge Cup title when they take on Mozambique in the quarter-final encounter at Nkana Stadium in Kitwe. The other quarter-final sees Angola facing Lesotho at the same venue in an early kick-off. Zambia and Angola have won six COSAFA titles between them – three for the hosts and the other three for the Palancas Negras, while Mozambique and Lesotho are yet to triumph. ZAMBIA vs MOZAMBIQUE (15:30 hours) The Chipolopolo are favourites to progress to the semi-finals, having beaten Mozambique seven times in the regional championship. Zambia’s supremacy over Mozambique dates back to 1997 when the Chipolopolo won 2-1 at Independence Stadium in Lusaka with Frazier Kamwandi netting a brace. In 1998, Zambia beat Mozambique 1-0 and a year later the teams drew 1-1 in the quarter-finals but the Chipolopolo won 4-3 on penalties. Zambia’s dominance continued in 2002 in a quarter-final clash, winning 3-0 and in 2003 the then Kalusha Bwalya-drilled squad thumped the Mambas 4-2 in the quarter-finals. In 2007, Zambia bashed Mozambique 3-0 in the semi-finals and the Chipolopolo won 2-0 in the semi-final encounter in 2009 in Harare. With this rich history, Zambia coach Herve Renard is confident that the Mambas will fall once more. “This tournament is very important for Zambia. We just have to win it. We have a team to not only beat Mozambique on Sunday but go all the way to win the championship,” said Renard at a pre-match press briefing at Kitwe’s Moba Hotel on Friday. But Mozambique assistant coach Helder Muianga, who represented coach Joan Chissano, said the Mambas will go into the match against Zambia to rewrite history. “This is a good chance for us to try and rewrite history by beating Zambia. We have never beaten Zambia,” Muianga said. The last time the teams clashed was in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Nchanga Stadium in Chingola, which Zambia won 3-0. In the run up to the COSAFA Castle Cup, the locally assembled team played two friendly matches winning one and drawing the other. Zambia beat Zimbabwe 2-0 in a friendly to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1993 Gabon air crash with Nchanga Rangers striker Bornwell Mwape netting a brace. The other friendly against Namibia in Windhoek on May 25 ended in a goalless draw. Mwape will lead the attack and will partner Festus Mbewe. Mwape and Mbewe have scored 17 goals among them in the Super Division – nine for Mwape and eight for Mbewe and this speaks volumes of their appetite in front of goal. Should the two strikers fail to deliver, Moses Phiri of Zanaco is the other option. Mukuka Mulenga will play behind the two strikers while Alex Ng’onga and Bruce Musakanya will operate from the right and left flanks respectively. If Mulenga plays the way he did against Lesotho and Sudan in the 2014 Brazil World Cup qualifiers, then the Portuguese will have a tiring day. Nkana’s Sydney Kalume will play in front of the defenders. Julius Situmbeko, Shadreck Malambo and Misheck Chaila are other midfield options. Skipper Bronson Chama and Kondwani Mtonga will be in central defence. Mtonga was impressive in the World Cup qualifiers. Jimmy Chisenga will operating from the right wing while Masautso Zimba will be on the opposite wing. Danny Munyau is a surer starter in goal ahead of Davy Kaumbwa and Joshua Titima. Mozambique coach Chissano, who will be without Elias Pelembe, Saddan Guambe and Gabriel Macuvele, will instruct goalkeeper Soares Soares to be alert. Chissano will rely on Milton Nhabomba, Fernando Cesar, Anthonio Belito, Apson Manjate and Reginaldo Fait to cause an upset. The teams were on bye in the preliminary round. ANGOLA vs LESOTHO (13:00 hours) Lesotho need to put up an extraordinary performance to beat Angola. Angola were on bye to the quarter-finals. The Likuena, who cruised to the last eight after finishing top of Group B with five points, have never won the COSAFA Castle Cup but their coach Leslie Notsi believes his team has matured and can beat Angola and go all the way to win the trophy. To qualify for the quarter-finals, Lesotho drew 2-2 with guests Kenya in the first match, went on to battle to a 3-3 draw with Botswana in Kitwe before registering a 2-0 win over Swaziland in Lusaka. Notsi will again maintain his faith in Mokhahlane Ralekoti, Tale Thapale, Katleho Moleko, Mojela Letsie and Tsepo Seturumane. Letsie and Seturumane were on target in the win over Swaziland. The closest Lesotho came to winning the championship was in 2000 when they finished runners-up after losing 6-0 on aggregate to Zimbabwe. Angola, who were led by Akwa, Flavio and Love, first won the trophy in 1999, They beat Namibia 2-1 in the final over two legs and repeated the feat in 2001 overcoming Zimbabwe. In 2004, Angola won the championship for the third time beating Zambia 5-4 on penalties after a goalless draw in regulation time.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Jul 2013 09:21:21 +0000
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