Micho admits Zambia were second best

by Staff Reporter

Sunday Jun 06, 2021. 14:00

Zambia coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic has confessed that hosts Senegal taught them a valuable football lesson in Saturday’s friendly defeat.

Chipolopolo lost 3-1 to the 2019 AFCON runners-up away in Thies in a match that saw all the homesides three goals come in the first half that they led 3-0 heading into the break.

“In football anything can happen; you can lose to a top class team but in the same moment lose honourably,” Micho said.

“But I believe that both teams have benefited from this match and thanks to Senegal for teaching us a lesson.”

Micho has carried a second-string side on the three-match tour that has only four foreign-based call-ups out of the initial fourteen that were summoned.

He admitted that he missed the services of striker Patson Daka and midfielder Enock Mwepu who were excused from the three-match tour due to their prospective transfers from Austrian champions RB Salzburg this summer.

Striker Fashion Sakala was also excused following his recent move from KV Oostende in Belgium to Scottish champions Glasgow Rangers.

“For me, this was a very important selection match where I have seen which players can be in the World Cup qualifiers in September and which players are not capable because the jersey is heavier than their qualities. So we have learnt the lessons from a very good team,” Micho added.

But his call-ups have two more games in which to redeem themselves this week starting on June 8 against Benin in Cotonou before they wrap-up with a date against Sudan on June 11 at Omdurman.