Africa Cup of Nations - blog

Zambia's style and silky skills

by Paul Myers

Article published on the 2010-01-23 Latest update 2010-01-23 11:10 TU

Zambia's coach Herve Renard shouting during their match against Gabon
(Photo: Reuters)

Since Zambia have surprised us all by qualifying from Group D for the last eight of this year’s tournament. I figured I’d take them as my lodestar.

In this blog so far I’ve been contemplative, existential, furious, exasperated and often incredulous.

Wonderful lad that I am, I’ve never been jealous.

But nearly two weeks into the competition, the rain, the heat and the arrival of the Zambia squad in Lubango, have rendered me transcendental.

In my next life I want to play football like Zambia football association’s president Kalusha Bwalya and look like the national team coach Hervé Renard.

This would be a great combination. While interviewing Renard after the game against Cameroon, I thought, no, really, this bloke looks he should be on the ski slopes or in a fashion shoot. Even bonito me scrubs up ordinary in comparison.

I‘m not worthy to tie Bwalya’s boot straps. He was one of the continent’s top talents during his playing days and as an administrator has overseen Zambia’s surge to their greatest achievement since he was parading his prodigious gifts on the field.

Zambia’s Angola high – though moderate by the standards of Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana or indeed Egypt – has come courtesy of a plan to establish a pattern for lasting success.

The playing team has been allowed to develop and Renard has been brought in because he has something to prove. He was Claude Leroy’s second in command at the Ghana team that reached the semi finals at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana.

He needed to stand alone. And he’s doing so ably abetted by Bwalya.

Nigeria should win the quarter final here in Lubango on Monday night. The Super Eagles possess a host of stars accustomed to big matches.

But the Chipolopolos – the Copper Bullets – have shown their mettle by absorbing the narrow defeat against Cameroon in the second group stage game and beating Gabon to qualify.

A collective will can overcome the odds...it’s one of the great things about football. And the underdogs have been snapping at the heels of their so-called masters throughout the tournament.

I nearly snapped this morning. There’s a group of hotel guests who appear to be the first into the breakfast room at 7am. But they do not rise and shine in silence. They awake and scream. And my room is in the cross fire.

A few mornings back one of them knocked on my door. I assume it was by mistake. That was at about 7.50am. 

The animation continues in the breakfast room until they clear out at about 9.20am – the time I’d been usually arriving until my 9.45am Friday debacle.

I was in the breakfast room on Saturday before 9am as per Friday morning’s instructions.

It did seem a bit early. But the head start does have benefits. It gives me more time to look my best for my heroes.