‘Zambian football improving’

ALEX NJOVU reports:

 
FORMER Nigeria national team striker Daniel Amokachi says Zambian football is regaining its lost glory and confessed that the Super Eagles have always found it difficult to beat the Chipolopolo.
“In fact, Zambia deserved to win the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia because they played very well.
The players obviously wanted to dedicate the victory to their colleagues who died in the Gabon plane crash but God wanted Nigeria to win,” Amokachi said.
Nigeria featuring the likes of Stephen Keshi, Rashid Yekini, George Finidi, Emmanuel Amunike among others came from behind to beat the reconstituted Zambian side 2-1.
Amokachi was speaking during the Mpila Zambia programme on SuperSport on Friday night.
“Zambian football is on the right path and it is developing. They are doing well in the Africa Cup qualifiers. Football standards in Zambia went down, especially after that plane crash but the country is doing well now,” he said.
Amokachi also said Nigeria were lucky to beat Zambia 5-4 on post-match penalties in the quarter-finals at the 2010 Angola Africa Cup of Nations.
The teams battled to a goalless draw in regulation and extra time.
Amokachi, who spoke highly of soccer icon Kalusha Bwalya, urged Zambian players to dream of plying their trade in major European leagues.
“If only Zambia can have six or so players plying in some of the top European leagues, that will be good for the country and the same players will open doors for their colleagues to go to Europe. Scouts will be forced to go to Zambia and find talent,” he said.
Amokachi said Zambian players are talented and could make it in top European leagues.
He said when Zambia exported Kalusha, Charles Musonda, Stone Nyirenda and Lucky Msiska to Belgium, the country was the envy of the continent.
“Zambia by then was in the class of Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon and Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) who had a lot of players in the Belgian league. It was difficult to beat Zambia and Zaire,” he said.