By NDINAWE SIMPELWE –
FORMER Chipolopolo defender Mordon Malitoli says Zambia needs to pick up valuable lessons from the Democratic Republic of Congo who just won the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament for the second time in four attempts.
In an interview, Malitoli observed that Zambia needed to be picking players who were performing well in the league in order to have the desired results at continental tournaments.
He said DR Congo’s success at the CHAN was not a mere coincidence but out of proper planning and using the right players.
“If you look at the players in that Congo team, you can see that almost all of them were in top form. This means the team selection was on merit.
“We can learn from that, we need to do the same, we can’t continue falling short when our neighbours are improving everyday,” Malitoli said.
Congo DR won the CHAN title for the second time after beating Mali 3-0 in the final on Sunday while Zambia could only manage a quarter final place after the Chipolopolo lost on post match penalties to Guinea.
Chipolopolo has failed to build on the success of the inaugural CHAN tournament where the team finished third and then failed to qualify to the last two editions before the 2016 championship.
Malitoli also observed that Congo DR’s success at the CHAN was a reflection of how well their local clubs were doing in CAF Club’s championships.
Malitoli, who is fondly remembered for his heroic display in the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations final defeat to Nigeria, said Zambian clubs should also aim at performing well in both CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup as it would help the national team have a strong base.
He said having a strong league was good but what counted most was how consistent clubs were in international tournaments.
“Congo had players who play for TP Mazembe and these other clubs that are always doing well in CAF competitions. This has given them confidence and experience to perform at such a high level tournament.
“Once our clubs become consistent in CAF tournaments we will also see the national team doing well. This is why I’m saying we need to pick players that are performing well for their clubs,” he said.
George Lwandmina’s side exited the CHAN tournament without conceding a goal in open play.
Zambia will now shift its attention to the Africa Cup qualifier against Congo Brazzaville on March 23.