Former Chipolopolo Coach Sven Vandenbroeck Says Zambia is “NOT A FOOTBALLING NATION”
Former Chipolopolo Coach Sven Vandenbroeck Says Zambia is “NOT A FOOTBALLING NATION”
Belgian trainer Sven Vandenbroeck has revisited his controversial statement about Zambia not being a footballing nation, clarifying that his comments were taken out of context. Vandenbroeck, who faced a tumultuous exit from his position as Chipolopolo coach in March 2019, now claims that his remarks were misinterpreted.
During his tenure, Vandenbroeck‘s coaching record was marked by one win, a draw, and two losses in his first five games, with criticism arising over his suggestion that Zambia was not a footballing nation, especially after the team failed to qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
However, in a recent interview with ZNBC’s Matimba Nkonje, Vandenbroeck aimed to clarify his previous statement. He explained that his intention was to highlight that while football is popular in Zambia, the country lacks the historical statistics and footballing pedigree of nations like Egypt or Cameroon.
Vandenbroeck emphasized that during his coaching tenure, Zambia was experiencing a decline following their Africa Cup of Nations victory in 2012. He stated that it was unrealistic to expect the team to qualify for or win tournaments given the challenges they were facing at the time.
In the same interview, Vandenbroeck praised the current Zambian national team’s performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. He commended their return to the tournament after a significant hiatus and acknowledged the difficulty of their group, which included strong teams like Congo and Morocco.
