• ZAMBIA Under-20’s Solomon Sakala (left) outwits Kalosane Rasetabele of Lesotho during the 2014 African Union Sports Commission Region Five Youth Games final Group B football match at the Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe on Wednesday. Zambia won 4-0. Picture by COSAFA

From SHAMAOMA MUSONDA  in Bulawayo –
ZAMBIA Under-20 soccer coach Hector Chilombo has hailed his players for showing the hunger to succeed here at the 2014 African Union Sports Commission (AUSC) Region Five Youth Games, making the whole tournament talk about the team’s rampant sporting ways.
The Zambian team has won all three Group B matches convincingly, netting 12 times and conceding just once and are now favourites to win gold at the regional youth games.
Chilombo said it was his wish that the players go on to win the gold medal especially that it was Zambia’s second string Under-20 side.
“I am very happy with the performance of this team. They have shown hunger to succeed and that is important in any player. I would want them to keep winning. Where we are coming from (group stage) we had room for a draw and not where we have reached now,” he said.
Chilombo’s charges swept away Lesotho with a 4-0 bashing in the last group match on Wednesday which raised his side to nine points, five clear of closest rivals, Namibia.
He said playing a well-organised Lesotho was difficult for his charges as they had little spaces to display the football they enjoy and scored just once in the first half.
Chilombo was however, happy that the players overcame the hurdle in the second half where they netted three times.
“That is a character you as a coach want to see in your players. Players who are ready to work hard to win a game even when things look real tough. But Lesotho, I must mention, is a good team, they are very organised and close spaces quickly, that’s why we struggled in the first half,” he said.
Lesotho coach, Gordon Majoro said his plan with the team was still on track as he had just been with the squad for six months and that the players were performing well.
“I have been with these boys for just six months and they are playing really well. We managed to contain Zambia quite well but could not hold on for long as Zambia was just too technically and tactically superior.
“As you heard from the Zambia coach, these boys have been together for two years but we are getting there,” Majoro said.