What we learned from Flames game
Ill-preparations or whatever, but any notion that Kinnah was turning a new page was rendered a joke in this 2013 Africa Cup of Nations preliminary round qualifier.
The dominance on paper of 10 ‘locals’ in the travelling party resulted in only four startingâ€â€and there was none even on the bench from TNM Super League champions, Silver Strikers. Six of the eight predominantly half match fit and unfit foreign-based players got a run in Chad.
“There has been a lot of talk about me clinging to old players, so I want to try youngsters,” Kinnah said on February 22, in obvious confusion between new blood and youngsters.
Save for Limbikani Mzava and Robin Ngalande, there was no genuine youngster in that squad. Defender Mzava and striker Chiukepo Msowoya played despite being inactive at their clubs for too long.
You can be certain when the six regulars, certainly life owners of the Flames, are match fit, they will walk again into the team. From the list of foreign-based players in Chad, only Moses Chavula, Ngalande and two-goal scorer Atusaye Nyondo are playing regularly at their clubs.
On fielding, veteran football analyst, Charles Nyirenda said Wednesday that Kinnah should “throw caution to the wind and go flat out on the offensive”.
But a 4-5-1 formation that leaked in goals recklessly before being changed to 4-4-2 reflected the same old song. Calling The Nation after the match, Former Flames midfielder Sherry Msuku was not amused, arguing “Chad is nonentity to go and out and defend with.”
The need for width in the Flames was ignored once again; there were hardly natural wingers in the starting XI with the exception of John Banda. And there is no depth on left back slot. Every time Chavula gets injured there is self-inflicted panic.
