adminFORMER African champions Zambia turn to a new generation of stars at the Cosafa Cup as they try to get back on the trophy-winning trail.
The country that lifted the 2012 Cup of Nations in Gabon against huge odds are hosting the 15-day southern Africa national team championship.
It kicks off tomorrow in the capital city Lusaka with a fixture between Mauritius and Namibia in Group A, which includes the Seychelles. “Guests” Kenya compete in the competition for the first time and are in Group B with Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland.
Zambia the defending champions, Zimbabwe, Angola, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa enter the Cup at the quarter-finals stage.
Joining them at the knockout stage will be the group winners with Namibia and Kenya early favourites to top the two final standings.
But the team widely expected to go all the way and win the 20 July final at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in mining town Ndola is Zambia.
Victory for the Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets) would soothe the pain suffered by supporters since the stunning Cup of Nations success.
After regular and extra time failed to deliver a goal in the final against hot favourites Cote d’Ivoire, Zambia won 8-7 on penalties. But little has gone right for coach Herve Renard since, with a short-lived Nations Cup defence followed by near-certain elimination from the 2014 World Cup qualifying race.
Draws with 10-man Ethiopia, Nigeria and Burkina Faso meant a first round exit from the 2013 Cup of Nations in South Africa.
And World Cup draws with whipping boys Lesotho and Sudan have left them a point adrift with a final-round visit to leaders Ghana looming.
Frenchman Renard remained loyal to his 2012 team for a long time, but the Cosafa Cup offers him a chance to develop new talent with his foreign-based stars unavailable.
Local stars like goalkeeper Danny Munyao, defender Kondwani Mtonga and midfielder Mukuka Mulenga have broken into the team in World Cup eliminators.
They will be joined at the Cosafa Cup by other local-based stars hoping to impress and book tickets on the September flight to Ghana.
Casualties of the ‘changing of the guard’ include a couple of long-serving home-based stars – defender Kampamba Chintu and midfielder Isaac Chansa.
Mozambique are the quarter-final opponents of Zambia under caretaker coach Joao Chissano after German Gert Engels paid for a 6-1 World Cup drubbing in Guinea with his job.
South Africa, potential semifinal opponents for Zambia, had to replace 10 of the original 20-man squad after some clubs refused to release stars from pre-season training. .- Soccernet.
Online Reporter