CHAN 2021: Its Zambia v Morocco in quarter finals

CHAN Group D Match Day 3: Namibia 0 – 0 Zambia

The Zambia national soccer team has qualified to the quarter finals of the ongoing CHAN 2021 competition after playing out to a goalless draw with Namibia.

Zambia will rue the missed chances in a game they dominated in all areas but clearly lacked the killer instinct.

Coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojević made one change to starting eleven bringing in Moses Phiri for Amity Shamenda and he tweaked his tactics to go with a 4 4 2 formation throwing Paul Katema wide to the right.

Zambia were creating chances from the start but not troubling the keeper. Moses Phiri was the first to head over the bar a meter from the goal line when a Kelvin Kampamba corner in the 13th minute found him in the 6 yard box. Two minutes later, Adrian Chama picked his run with a long cross-field ball. He controlled the ball well but was brought down by the goalie for what seemed to be a penalty but the referee waved play on.

Next it was skipper Chama who found space in the box from another Kampamba corner but he also sent his free header wide in the 39th minute.

Emmanuel Chabula followed suit in the 45th minute when a brilliant cross from Zechariah Chilongoshi found him in the box but he headed wide.

Zambia continued the second half from where they ended with their dominance, but Namibia were looking more threatening on the counter attack.

Chama and defense partner Luka Banda were excellent and both picked yellow cards to curl some dangerous counter attacks and keep Zambia in the game.

Despite bringing in Spencer Sautu for Moses Phiri and Amity Shamenda for Kampamba, the Zambian attack was just not good enough on the day and they missed the chance of topping group D.

In the other group D match, Tanzania conceded late in the 82nd minute to draw 2 – 2 with Guinea who qualify to the quarter finals as Group D winners.

The results sees Tanzania join Namibia on the next plane out of Cameroon while Zambia will play defending champions Morocco on Sunday at 18h00. They will shift town to Douala. Guinea will stay in Limbe to play Rwanda.