CHILEMENA, ZULU DIFFER ON BRUCE MWAPE’S PROWESS

By Fulman Mukobeko

SOCCER Analyst Barnabus Zulu says Copper Queens boss Bruce Mwape must be the ones to lead the team to the Olympic Games in Paris, France, contrary to some soccer pundits’ view that he is not good enough to lead the Copper Queens to glory in the forthcoming Olympic Games.

Zulu was reacting to veteran soccer analyst Marsha Chilemena’s statement that Mwape was not a right coach for the Copper Queens having been fired by Kabwe Warriors for failure to read games.

Chilemena further argued that the success of the Copper Queens was based on the availability of individual brilliance in the team.

But Zulu maintained that Mwape was the right person to lead Zambia to the Olympic because he understands the team very well.

He said during the qualifications, most of the teams the Copper Queens faced were tutored by expatriate coaches but Mwape managed to overcome them, making him the right torch-bearer for the Olympic Games.

“In my opinion, Bruce Mwape should be maintained as Copper Queens coach. What should just be done is maybe to beef up the technical bench with someone who has expertise in game management and coordination,” Zulu said.

He said Mwape took over the team when it was in its infancy and that the team had been qualifying to the Olympics back to back which showed how good he was.

“Mwape should be allowed to go to the Olympics and showcase what he has. He has been there before and he has got experience. He learnt from the experience that time when Zambia was at the Olympics. So, it is in order for FAZ to allow him as they did with Avram Grant (Chipolopolo Coach) for him (Mwape) to finish the project,” he said.

He argued that if Mwape did not know how to read games, Zambia could not have qualified to the Olympic Games.

“The matches played have different strategies. Look, here we lost 2-1 and all those were silly goals that we conceded against Morocco. It was a goalkeeping department which failed. When we went to Morocco, we were able to overcome them and we were able to score two goals. So, such sentiments that Bruce Mwape doesn’t know how to read games are misplaced,” he stated.

He said FAZ will pay through their nose if they decide to replace Mwape with an expatriate coach, adding that the new trainer will need to start afresh.

He said football was a collective game, arguing that Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji could not win matches without the involvement of other players in the squad.

“Those players are exceptional. They are better players but they cannot do it alone. No wonder we have got eleven players. All those who are saying Mwape has benefited from the individual brilliance of Barbra and Kundananji  are not right. We have had situations where those players were not there at AFCON but as a country, we were able to pull up good results.

“Barbra and Kundananji were not there and Mwape was literally left with just one exceptional player in the name of Grace Chanda but Zambia managed to come out third. If at all it wasn’t for that dubious penalty that was given to South Africa, Zambia could have lifted the trophy. At that particular tournament, Zambia managed to beat Nigeria without Barbra and Kundananji,” he said.