…as Chiyangi says missed chances cost Zambia the game
By MICHAEL MIYOBA ZAMBIA national assistant team trainer Aggrey Chiyangi says failure to find the back of the net after having created many scoring opportunities in the 0-1 quarterfinal loss to Sudan cost Zambia the semifinal spot at the ongoing Championship of African Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament in Morocco.
Chiyangi said that the Chipolopolo boys played well despite having failed to score in the game against Sudan.
Speaking in post-match interview Chiyangi said the technical bench would conduct a post-mortem of the tournament and reinforce in areas where the team is lacking.
“It was a very tough game. We lost, the only thing that we did not do was to score. We created so many chances but we did not score,
“Playing against Sudan was always going to be difficult but I think the goodness is we created chances but did not just score.” he said
Despite Zambia having failed to progress to the semis, Chiyangi noted that the boys were not failures as they fought a good fight.
“Our mission was to go beyond this stage but football being what it is, we have failed to go beyond this round. In football there are no failures, it is only that you fail to go to the next round, you only fail when you give up. This tournament is gone, we have learnt one or two things.”
Sudan progressed to the semifinals after humiliating tournament favorites Zambia-thanks to Malik Saifeldin’s first-half strike after going past a clumsy Chipolopolo defence proved to be the difference between the two teams, with the Falcons of Jediane advancing into the final four.
And Sudan coach Logarusic Hrvatsko commended Zambia for playing well against Sudan.
Hrvatsko said that Zambia did everything right in the quarter final fixture but suffered from conceding a first half goal.
“Zambia played very well, they were a bit unlucky they did not score. In football sometimes you play better and do not deserve to lose, sometimes you do not deserve to win and you win,” Hrvatsko said.