Coach Micho should cast the net wide

Dear Editor,

THE senior Chipolopolo boys coach Milutin Sredojevic otherwise known as Micho was recently unveiled by the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ). The 50 year old Serbian, has coached a number of clubs in Africa including Uganda national team. He qualified Uganda to the 2019 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) football tournament which was hosted by Egypt.

Micho has come at a critical time when Zambia failed to qualify for the 2017 and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations football tournament.

If this is not bad enough, Zambia’s chances of qualifying for the 2021 Cameroon AfCON is on a knife edge. This is because our country have lost two qualifying matches 5-0 and 2-1 to Algeria and Zimbabwe respectively.

Given the above scenario, the newly recruited coach has a mammoth task of qualifying the country for next year’s edition of the Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted by Cameroon.

To realise the dream of qualifying the team for AfCON, there is need for coach Micho to assemble a formidable side by casting his net wide.

He needs to have a large pool from which to choose players. Better still, he should choose players to the national team based on merit. Zambia plays the next qualifier against

Botswana in March. The game against Botswana is a must win if Zambia is to revive the chances of qualifying. A defeat or loss will spell doom Zambia’s prospects of qualifying.

With focus, discipline and hard work, Zambia can qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations football tournament.

Lastly, I wish coach Micho all the best in his mantle as head coach of the senior Zambia national soccer team.

ELEMIYA PHIRI, Lusaka.