By GWEN CHIPASULA –
THE Zambia Futsal team arrived back home yesterday with delegation leader Julio Chiluba saying he had never witnessed such incompetence at any international match before.
Meanwhile, coach Augusto Lucio said he is proud of his side for ‘qualifying’ to the CAF 2016 Africa Cup of Nations finals in South Africa and will prepare adequately for the April tournament as Zambia awaits the CAF verdict.
Zambia initially lost 5-4 to Equatorial Guinea to tie 7-all on aggregate following the former’s 3-2 win in Lusaka but match officials surprisingly ordered for extra time contrary to the rules of the sport and hosts went on to win 7-5.
The 7-all tie after regulation time meant Zambia had qualified on goals scored away as per Article 12 of the rules and regulation governing the Futsal qualifiers, a move that has seen the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) seek CAF intervention.
Chiluba, who is also FAZ head of administration and competition at Football House, said he had communicated to the match officials to at least order for penalties instead of extra time but no one listened to him.
“The referee said he was confused after I asked him why he had decided to comtinue with the game. This is the first time I am seeing such a thing happen at high profile matches like that one. Even though the boys played, they played under protest,” he said.
But Lucio insisted that his team qualified for the tournament and showered praise on the players despite their 5-4 defeat.
“I am happy with the boys, they played well though qualifying with a straight win could have been better and the boys could have done better,” he said.
“The matches are organised by direct knockout, are played home and away. In this case, the team that shall have a higher number of goals in the two matches shall be qualified to the next round of the competition.
At the end of regular time of the second match, the team which will have scored the greatest number of away goals shall be qualified to the next round of the competition.
If the number of away goals is the same or if the results of the matches are nil, the winner shall be determined by taking of kicks from the penalty mark carried out by each team in compliance with the laws of game of Futsal,” reads Article 12 of the CAF qualifying rules.