Zambia Return From Nigeria Without Coach Renard

Zambia returned home late on Thursday evening without coach Herve Renard at the end of their away friendly game against the Super Eagles of Nigeria that they lost 2-0 at Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on Tuesday.

A dozen players, who included the TP Mazembe quartet of goalkeeper Kalililo Kakonje, midfielders Stophilla Sunzu and Rainford Kalaba and striker Given Singuluma, landed at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka on Thursday night after 20:30 hours.

Also in the traveling party was Renard’s longtime and faithful assistant coach Patrice Beaumelle.

Football Association of Zambia vice president, Boniface Mwamelo, allayed any speculation over Renards absence. “He has gone to Pretoria to check on the facilities at the High Performance Center where Zambia we will setup camp,” Mwamelo  told MTNFootball.com .

“He is coming back because we need his passport for the purpose of processing his visa to India.”Zambia is expected to undertake a visit to India this month before pitching camp in South Africa in December ahead of their 2012 Africa Cup of Nations outing to be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Renard is expected to take a 24-man team comprising of mostly home-based players to India for a week-long training camp in Goa.Zambia, while in Goa, play two international friendly matches against India on 25 and 28  November.