OUR SOIL ! OUR LAND! OUR CUP
ZAMBIA 2-0 SENEGAL
Patson Daka 15*
Edward Chilufya 35*
The referree blew the final whistle and the crowd went amock….I don’t know how to describe that feeling. Crazy, Frenzy, excited , ……no better words can describe that feeling. Zambian players , who are amusing themselves by holding hands in a big circle while on their knees, they have done it.
Senegalese are given their silver medals and stand around looking like they want to go home, pretty much as you’d expect. Then the Champions walk to the stand as victors. Everyone gets a bunch of hand shakes and a gold medal. There’s much hugging, and then the cup. As the heavens open, the captain leaps onto a podium and is handed the trophy. He takes an age to lift it to the skies but eventually, wheech, up it goes, and we’re all done and dusted.
It’s all over, and Zambia have won the under 20 AFCON. Fans were am seated are in tears – of joy this time – and the players are being chased around the pitch by photographers. I have never never seen something like this with my eyes and experienced it. This is it there is always time for everything, Zambia had been fighting on 9 occasions but this one had to come and came at at the right time, at home. But there’s always two sides to a story, and Senegalese look like the loneliest men on the planet. I knew we’d get some existentialism in here somehow.
The Game
The Senegalese started brightly, they were the first to shoot at goal and actually the first goal Patson Daka scored was the first shot on target for Zambia and paid off.. Senegal had already shot twice at Mangani . Zambia then took over and created three excellent chances.
Patson was alert when the Senegalese Goal keeper spilled that ball , the keeper feigned to save then in Patson with a perfectly weighted ball poked the wide of the left corner in the 15th minute. That was all what was needed to send the crowd on their feet.
Probably the best Under 20 AFCON Cup final with record capacity at Heroes Stadium. Senegal dominated possession in the first half without creating too many chances. Patson looked very nervous in the first half but as soon as he scored his confidence soared.
The Senegal goal keeper did a Seaman, his mistake giving Zambia the crucial first goal though his defenders are equally to blame. Mangani on the other hand was superb in Zambia’s goal, making two saves on the rare occasions Senegal threatened. Under 20 AFCON Cup #1 for Zambia. Senegal would not come back after another mix up in defence and the ball fell on Edward Chilufya and back in the net for a second goal in the 35th minute. Senegal were all over and it was like written in the sky, this was Zambia’s to lose .
Patson Daka , Edward Chilufya and Singh finished as top scorers with 4 goals each. Unanimously Patson without a doubt is the man of this tournament!
As Zambians We’ve got to be happy with what we’ve achieved here in this AFCON UNDER 20. First of all survivIing group matches without a loss, another win in the semi final and now the final. The boys played well at times and we owe a lot to the opponents who gave the hosts good games .
Talking to Mr Simata Simataa one of the seasoned football administrators of Zambian football before the game , he was quick to respond to some questions of predictions :
“I don’t predict games but this one we are winning .” said Mr Simata. That seemed to be the situation with every Zambian fan and the common slogan, “OUR SOIL, OUR LAND AND OUR CUP” looked very possible even before this final kicked off.
As someone who has been writing and following up on what was happening at this tournament I feel happiness and joy, probably the same joy that the people of Zambia are probably feeling right now. The joy of knowing that the boys did their job, a job that took a lot of hard work and we feel the merit of winning all five of our matches. It is a historical moment as Zambia is back this time as Under 20 Champions and that is simply the result of very hard work of players, technical team, fans and as well as the Association.
Its done the AFCON UNDER 20 , 2017 will be remembered as the title that went to Zambia and enshrined in that book of history of African football as a nation that hosted and won all the five without a loss. Scoring 13 and only conceding 2. Well deserved and congratulations ZAMBIA!!!
Am out
