This is the first time since February 2001 that the side, coached by Herve Renard, have made it into the top 50.

The Chipolopolo are now ranked 4th on the continent behind Ivory Coast,Ghana and Algeria respectively.

The rankings monitored by QFM News were released today by FIFA.

Despite losing on penalties in the decider, Cote d’Ivoire 15th, remain Africa”s highest-positioned team. Aside from the two finalists, third-placed Mali 44th, up 25 places as well as host nations Gabon 45th, up 46 places and Equatorial Guinea 110th, up 41 places have made considerable ground.

Changes are also to be seen in the top ten, with Germany 2nd, up 1 place bumping the Netherlands out of second place to take up position behind Spain, and Portugal 6th, and Italy 8th also making headway. Denmark have moved into the top ten (10th, up 1), pushing Argentina down to 11th.

All of these changes in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Ranking are due to the devaluation of matches from previous years, as no top-ten team has played a match in the last month.

The results of 51 international matches have been taken into account in compiling the current edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola Ranking, of which 32 took place as part of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations and 19 were friendlies.

The next FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking will be issued on 7 March 2012, one week earlier than originally planned.

Kalusha, considered the finest Zambian footballer of all time heads the country’s football federation and the Frenchman describes the feat as a thank you package for the impact in his coaching career. Incidentally, Kalusha escaped the April 28, 1993 air plane crash involving the Zambian team in Gabon on their way to Senegal for a World Cup qualifier because he had to fly to Dakar from his European base.

“He is the best Zambian player of the last century and he escaped the plane crash. He was criticized for giving me the second chance. I dedicate the victory to him because he gave me the opportunity to coach. I also thank Claude Le Roy for giving me my first experience in Africa as assistant coach in 2008 with Ghana.”

Renard added that his team was destined to win the title after a campaign that saw them start every game as underdogs.

“It was unrealisable before the start of the tournament and we realised we have to believe in ourselves. We were not the best team but have the strength to fight on.

“We wanted to honour the dead players and that strengthened us. Our first game was against Senegal and the team was on its way to Senegal for a match when the plane crashed. The plane crashed in Gabon and we won the final in Gabon. It is a sign of destiny.”

A dramatic shoot-out at the end of 120 minutes of largely underwhelming football went the way of Zambia when Gervinho shot wide and Stophira Sunzu stepped up to slot home.

The final proved a tale of penalty woe for Cote d’Ivoire, chasing its first continental crown for 20 years, with Didier Drogba also failing from the spot during the 90 minutes.

But the win was ultimately no more than Zambia deserved for a plucky display against the odds.

The underdog started brightly and almost claimed a second-minute lead, Nathan Sinkala’s low drive superbly saved by Cote d’Ivoire goalkeeper Boubacar Barry low to his right.

Zambia boss Herve Renard was forced into a reshuffle after 11 minutes when defender Joseph Musonda was forced from the field in tears after catching his knee in the turf when making a challenge.

Nyambe Mulenga came on but the change did not disrupt the Zambians’ flow, with Chisamba Lungu looping a header narrowly over two minutes later.

It took Cote d’Ivoire’s star-studded line-up 30 minutes to create a noteworthy chance, a clever backheel from Drogba picking out Yaya Toure but the Manchester City midfielder failed to find the target from eight yards.

The match degenerated into a scrappy affair after half-time with neither side able to put together a period of sustained pressure.

But in a rare moment of quality, Gervinho provided Drogba with the chance to redeem himself for his penalty shoot-out miss in the 2006 final defeat to Egypt.

The Arsenal forward burst into the area and was felled by a combination of Isaac Chansa and Mulenga, but Drogba sidefooted his spot-kick horribly over the bar.

The Elephants had another chance to win it in normal time but substitute Max Gradel, having turned his man inside the area, shot inches wide of the far post.

Zambia also had a late chance with a wonderful tackle from Kolo Toure preventing Emmanuel Mayuka from getting a shot on goal when he was well placed.

Zambia had the only chance in the first period of extra-time and it almost resulted in the opening goal.

Felix Katongo beat his marker down the right and crossed for brother Christopher, whose close-range shot would have sneaked in at the near post but for a vital touch from Barry’s boot.

Cote d’Ivoire had two chances to win it after the break but Didier Ya Konan curled an effort just wide while, after 117 minutes, Gradel took an airshot when well placed.

The shoot-out was locked at 7-7 after 14 nerveless penalties before Kolo Toure saw his effort saved by Kennedy Mweene.

Rainford Kalaba fluffed his big moment by shooting over the bar but there was no second reprieve when Gervinho missed and Sunzu slotted in.

The TP Mazembe of DR Congo has been very outstanding as Chipolopolo have marched in fine style to the semi-finals of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

He has won two successive man of the match awards including in Saturdays 3-0 quarterfinal win over Sudan in Bata, has been in outstanding form for Zambia and the teams driving force at the ongoing Nations Cup despite scoring just one goal.

“For me, he is one of the best players in Africa, maybe in the top 15,” remarked an appreciative Renard.

The French coach also revealed that for his suspension, Zambia and not Nigeria would have reached the semi-finals of the 2010 Nations Cup in Angola.

“You know when we played the 2010 quarterfinals he was suspended and yesterday (Saturday) before the game I said we are lucky because Rainford is here,” the Zambia coach offered.

Kalaba missed the 2010 quarterfinal in Lubango and Nigeria went through after a penalty shootout.

The Frenchman would also reveal the nickname  Zambia teammates call the influential playmaker.

Speaking in Bata on Sunday, Renard said he also believed that the TP Mazembe midfielder is one of the best 15 players in Africa.

“Do you know the name his teammate are calling him on the pitch They are calling him ‘Master’,” Renard said.

“When they are asking for the ball they call out ‘Master! Master!!’

“I think the word can only explain everything and how important he is to the team.”

Reports reaching The Independent Post (TIP) indicate that Renard (PICTURED) has since banned Zambian players from talking to scouts because he believes they might disturb them.

“Our coach doesn’t want these European scouts to talk to the players. He is chasing any scouts he spots near the hotel where Zambia is lodging.

“I am told no player is allowed to talk to scouts. It’s Herve Renard who issued that warning.

“Renard is of the view that scouts tend to disturb players. It’s not that he doesn’t want the players to get recruited by new good clubs but it’s for their own good,” said a source.

Asked from which club the scouts in question were from, the source responded: “Well, we have all manner of scouts here. We have scouts from Man U (Manchester United), Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool and many others. But Renard doesn’t care whether it’s a Man U scout who wants to talk to the players. He’s just chasing.”

Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has not yet commented on this development as its communications manager Eric Mwanza is yet to respond to the press query sent by TIP.

The crowding of scouts in the Zambian camp is apparently being prompted by the Chipolopolo boys’ superb performance in the three games they have prayed so far.

Over the weekend, Zambia beat an improved Equatorial Guinea side 1-0 to top Group A and hence qualified to the quarter finals. Zambia returns to the pitch this weekend.

[Source:independent post]

RENARD has also put on stand-by Chinese based striker JAMES CHAMANGA and THOMAS NYIRENDA of Konkola blades.

RENARD said the twenty-six man squad will be trimmed to twenty-three and that the availability of Chamanga and Nyirenda will depend on their recovery in readiness for the Africa Cup of Nations.

JONAS SAKUWAHA of SUDAN has also been included in the team for the first time with JOSHUA TITIMA and Nathan SINKALA are part of the twenty-six man squad.

And RENARD has called for sacrifice from the players who have been selected to play at the Africa Cup of Nations.

RENARD told a media briefing in Lusaka today that he hopes to do better at the Gabon Equatorial Guinea championship than what was achieved at the Angola Africa Cup of Nations.

FAZ Communications Manager Erick Mwanza has told journalists who had gathered for the briefing that Renard was unable to attend because he had an administrative engagement.

Mwanza says Renard will instead name the final 26 man AFCON Squad after the friendly game against Angola.

Mwanza says Renard will pick 26 players and that only 23 will go to the Africa Cup of Nations.

Mwanza says the team will leave for a training camp in South Africa on December 27.

Meanwhile, Renard has announced a 25 squad that goes into camp on Tuesday to face Angola in an international friendly Match.

The team that comprises of mostly local players will face Angola on December 18.

Among those that go into camp include Skipper Christopher Katongo, Given Singuluma, James Chamanga, and Felix Katongo.

Others are Kennedy Mudenda, Chisamba Lungu, Lawrence Chungu, Jimmy Chisenga and Thomas Nyirenda.

This is according to a list that was announced by Mwanza on Monday.

And Mwanza says Zambia will face Botswana on January 7 and South Africa on January 14 in an international friendly fixtures before flying to Equatorial Guinea on January 17.

The heroe of the day was teenage Striker BRUCE MUSAKANYA who marked his international debut with a hatrick.

India led by midfielder Steven Dias conceded the first goal in the 15th minute, when JIMMY CHISENGA scored for Zambia.

Power dynamos captain JOSEPH SITALI doubled the lead in the 55th minute, before MUSAKANYA completed the work of the day with a hatrick.

On Saturday Zambia beat GOA select 4-1 in another preparatory match.

Ends.

Organisers of the match have lined up a number of Indian actors and singers to grace the match, while some tickets will be given freely to interest groups.

The presence of the Chipolopolo boys in Goa has created a stir with local people following the team’s training sessions with a keen interest.

And the coach of the Indian select team has vowed to go for an all out attack in Saturday’s game.

Armando Colaco told ZNBC’s Michael Kaumba who is in India that although ZAMBIA is highly rated by FIFA his team will be playing to win.

Colaco has unveiled a 24 man select side which includes three Nigerians, two Ghanians and a player from the Ivory Coast.

And Chipolopolo head coach Herve Renard has paid tribute to the organisers of the match for giving his team first class training facilities and accommodation.

Football Association of Zambia Communications Manager Erick Mwanza says this follows a directive by CAF to withdraw the participation of Zambia and Ivory Coast in the tournament.

Mwanza told ZNBC Sports that CAF has written to CECAFA stating that Zambia and Ivory Coast’s participation in the tournament is against CAF guidelines.

The guidelines forbid teams that have qualified to the AFCON to take part in a tournament outside their region.

Mwanza however, says the national team will go ahead and re-group in Lusaka to start preparations for the friendly match against Nigeria on November 15th.

He says the Chipolopolo players will convene in Lusaka this weekend to start preparations for the match before moving camp to South Africa next week.

National team coach Herve Renard wanted to use the CECAFA tournament to assess some foreign and local players ahead of the AFCON in January.