Disappointed Chambeshi still wants Chipolopolo job

by Staff Reporter

Monday Oct 11, 2021. 13:00

Beston Chambeshi wants to stay on as Chipolopolo coach despite failing on his mission to guide Zambia to FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B qualification.

Chipolopolo’s Qatar race ended on October 10 after they were held to a 1-1 home draw by Equatorial Guinea at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka to bow out of the race with two Group B games to spare.

Third placed Zambia are six points behind leaders Tunisia with two game left and cannot assail The Carthage Eagles who lead Group B on 10 points.

Equatorial Guinea are second on 7 points while Mauritania are last on 1 point after holding Tunisia 0-0 at home in Nouakchott during Group B’s late night kickoff on Sunday.

Chambeshi was handed a six-match mandate to oversee Chipolopolo’s 2022 Qatar Group B qualifiers after replacing Serbian Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic who parted company with FAZ in July.

“I am also disappointed to be out of contention for the Qatar 2022 World Cup because my aim when I came here was to also build the team for the nation,” Chambeshi said.

“This is not the result we wanted. We wanted at least maximum points so that we can stay in contention for the Qatar World Cup.”

Chambeshi has picked up just 4 points from his four games in charge.

He made a promising start with a 2-1 away win over Mauritania but later suffered similar back-to-back 2-0 defeats to Tunisia at home on September 7 in Ndola and Equatorial Guinea away on October 7 in Malabo before making a modest recovery with Sundays home draw in Lusaka.

Chambeshi will wrap-up his brief reign with November dead-rubber dates against Mauritania at home and Tunisia away.

“But anyway we have seen that the team is coming up and personally I have seen what the boys can offer. If i can stay with them for some time we can build a team that can been reckoned with,” Chambeshi said.