Why Chipolopolo! Why!!

I am in so much pain that I just want to scream, cry and shout at this moment. We have been knocked off our pedestal as the champions of Africa. I almost never watched the final game because I felt that I could not handle the emotion. So I began preparing myself for an exit before the Burkina Faso game. I am so glad I did that. This is not a piece about encouragement, if that is what you are looking for I would advise you to stop reading now. For this is a piece by a frustrated, a very frustrated BROTHA.

The chaps go in camp for over a month, spend my tax payers money in hotels and globetrot from Saudi Arabia to Tanzania and South Africa. We dangle US$90, 000 in front of their eyes. All they had to do was sneeze and we gave them what they required. We supported them with every breath and sweat our bodies could release. And WOW! What do the lads go and do, put up such an appalling display.

I do not care if you play beautiful football, slick passes, artistic dribbling, have 61% ball possession, give me BLOODY GOALS!!!!!! Is that too much to ask? We go to South Africa our beloved backyard so we say and we go and draw all our matches. I can excuse the chaps for the Nigeria draw but to draw with Ethiopia and Burkina Faso, are you kidding me. Chipolopolo I am gravely disappointed and I hope each one of you reads this blog.

To the players when you represent as the Zambia National Team, please understand that you are a team, and not the bunch of selfish fellows that you paraded yourselves as in the first two games. What nonsense was that? There is what we call passing the ball in football. I guess that lesson is slowly losing its value in you. Our strikers iye sure.  Where is the power in legs? There is a serious drought in that department. You call fluffs as shots. The chances we created all went begging. I am tired of watching a game of ohhhhhs and ahhhhhs. Give me something to celebrate.

After you were booted out, not a single one of you shed a tear. Show me some passion and that you really wanted it. I hope that when you went to your rooms you cried. I hope you cried real hard because you broke my heart. Reflect on this moment and missed opportunity for a long time. May the disappointment still linger in your minds for a long time to come; so that the next time you step onto that pitch it is not only for YOU. It is for all the faithful fans of Chipolopolo.  I think I am entering into an episode of depression; I may need psychological help to get through this phase.

Iwe Herve Renard, thank you for making us win the AFCON 2012 but do not bank on that victory forever. You know us Zambians we forget quickly and if things don’t improve we will show you the door. The signs were smacking you in the face and you did not do anything about it. We survived by the skin of our buttocks against Uganda, lost to Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Angola, and drew with Morocco and Norway. Clearly results that champions cannot be proud of. What is even more annoying is that you kept giving me hope that Chipolopolo will make it to the quarters. Quarter final yanga ili kuti? I think it is about time that you did some pruning and inject some new and hungry blood into that team. Retire some of those old fellows they have served their country well. Please allow them to retire with dignity before we push them out.

It will take me a long time to get over this disappointment. I hope you really feel the tons of disappointments we have and I pray that you confess that you did not do your best. We have seen your best when you won the AFCON 2012. You owe us an apology each and every one of you owe mother Zambia an apology. We might just forgive you for this shortcoming if you qualify us to the world cup, so you can still redeem yourselves. Oh by the way, this is not for you Kennedy Mweene, you were outstanding.