adminIt was a similar tale last year as Zambia swept to their first African Cup of Nations title following their triumph in the tournament co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Of course, the Nations Cup is, naturally, a bigger tournament which every team on the continent would want to win.
But the Cosafa Cup has its own special place in countries in the Southern African region and there could not have been a more epic finale than the latest episode in the famed Battle of The Zambezi clashes between the Warriors and Chipolopolo.
That battle will explode at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola moments after the third place play-off between South Africa and Lesotho at the same venue and it will bring the curtain down to a tournament that started with group games at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka before switching to the Copperbelt for the knock out stages.
For the Zambian media, the fans and their French coach Herve Renard today’s final is just what the doctor ordered as they seek to avenge the 2009 defeat they suffered at the hands of the Warriors at Rufaro.
Such is the power of the game that it has also captured the imagination of Zambian First Lady, Christine Kaseba, who has been closely following Chipolopolo’s progress in the tournament and was at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium for Wednesday’s semi-final matches.
She is expected to be joined by her husband Michael Sata, the President of Zambia, at the match venue this afternoon.
The Zambian First Lady’ even issued some advice to Chipolopolo as they prepared for the final and her sentiments formed part of the main news items in both the electronic and print media here with The Post newspaper leading with that story.
“I heard the coach of South Africa saying South Africa is the most feared team in Cosafa but I would like to say that Zambia beat the feared team.
“But don’t be complacent we still have to win the Cosafa, they should raise their game even more than they did last night (against South Africa). We are all proud of them and we will support them,’’ Kaseba was quoted by the Post as saying.
The Daily Mail screamed “Renard plots Zim’s fall’’ and spoke of the need for their national team to wrestle the Cosafa Cup from the Warriors and avenge for the 3-1 defeat they were handed by their opponents at Rufaro in 2009.
“Zambia coach Herve Renard is in a combative mood and is talking of revenge and wrestling the Cosafa Cup title from Zimbabwe in tomorrow’s final,’’ wrote the Daily Mail
The Post, the Daily Mail and the Times are the most widely read newspapers in Zambia and they have built a sense of belief that today could be Chipololopo’s time to end the Warriors dominance over them in this competition.
“Herve Renard has declared that Zimbabwe is second on his Cosafa Cup revenge hit list,” wrote the Times.
“Renard settled an old score with Bafana Bafana whom he has beaten for the first time in the Cosafa Cup since their 1-0 semi-final loss in 2008.
“And now, Renard has switched his gun-sights on Zimbabwe who beat his Zambia 3-1 in the previous final held in 2009 in Harare.
The Frenchman was quoted by The Times saying: “In 2009 we played Zimbabwe and we lost. Now, we want o revenge that.”
In April Zimbabwe and Zambia renewed their rivalry but this time in an international friendly to commemorate the Gabon air disaster that wiped out what is widely believed to be finest generation of Chipolopolo players. It was also the first time that Warriors coach Klaus Dieter Pagels faced Chipolopolo.
That match, which the hosts won 2-0, marked Zambia’s second game at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.
Zambia’s first game at their brand new home on June 9 had also ended in triumph with Renard’s men upstaging Ghana in a 2014 World Cup qualifier.
Since it was opened, Zambia have not lost at the Ndola venue and will be hoping for the same to continue this afternoon.
However, Zambia have lost in both their last two meetings against Zimbabwe in Harare.
The two sides’ last meeting in Harare was on August 10 in an international friendly which the Warriors won 2-0 at Rufaro.
Prior to that, Zimbabwe also reigned supreme on November 9, 2009 when they beat their northern rivals 3-1 in the final of the Cosafa Cup final at Rufaro.
In the Cosafa Cup Zambia trace their last win over Zimbabwe to July 27 2008 in South Africa.
Zambia won 5-4 on post-match penalties at Secunda after a goalless draw in regulation time in a quarter-final meeting.
Former Hwange and FC Platinum coach Tennat Chilumba is also now in Kitwe and chipped in with his sentiments on the game.
Chilumba, now at Power Dynamos, predictably backed Chipolopolo to prevail over the Warriors and reckoned the hosts would post a big win.
“The Zambian team is much stronger than the Zimbabwe team. So I think it will be a big scoreline. I don’t believe Zimbabwe brought their strongest team because I know their players,” Chilumba said.
From hotel employees, the man in the streets, hawkers, the police taxi drivers all never gave the Warriors a chance to win this time.
Their Premiership outfit Nkana Red Devils have passionate fans who have popularised a celebration called the Aleyisa which has also been adopted for the national team. In Zimbabwe it could match the Zora Butter that has become the trademark dance for the Dynamos fans. But for the fans here such is the unity that is not about whether one is a Power Dynamos, ZESCO United or Nkana player.
“Zambia national team is Zambia national team. We don’t care who is playing for us. We love our team and it will be great to beat Zimbabwe because they are the defending champions,” said one Patrick Mwale, who works at a clothing shop in the town.
“Zimbabwe teti atu wine. Zambia akosesha sana kuli ba Zimbabwe tuli fikali (Zimbabwe can never win. Zambia is stronger than Zimbabwe, we are good),” he added in his local language.
By yesterday afternoon Kitwe’s streets were being painted green and orange with each passing minute and counting those without the Chipolopolo shirt was becoming easier than to count those in the national team regalia.
Online Reporter