24th December, 2012
Football loving Nigerians are looking forward to seeing a brand new Super Eagles at next year’s African Cup of Nations, with high expectations that the team would win the trophy.
But, Zambian player Stoppila Sunzu says his country’s team, the Chipolopolo are in pole position to retain the Nations Cup in South Africa.
Sunzu, who lost the African Player of the Year Award (Africa based) to Mohammed Aboutreika of Egypt during the Glo/CAF Awards ceremony held in Accra, Ghana Thursday last, declared that no team would stop them from achieving their dream, not even Nigeria.
The TP Mazembe Football Club player did not mince words while speaking on Zambia’s Nations Cup group match against the Eagles.
“We are going to South Africa 2013 to retain the Nations Cup, and we have heard that Nigeria’s Super Eagles are improving everyday, but they cannot win the cup. We are the champions.
“If Nigeria want to win the cup, they must beat us to get the cup. But we will not lose to the Eagles because the Chipolopolo are not just the favourites, we have the team to win and take back our cup,” Sunzu, who scored Zambia’s winning goal against Cote d’Ivoire during the final of 2012 AFCON in Gabon told P.M.NEWS in Accra.
Sunzu, who has about six of his teammates at TP Mazembe of Democratic Republic of Congo in the Nations Cup bound Zambian squad said Kalaba Rainfor and their skipper Katongo, believes their training discipline would be an edge over their opponents during the continental football fiesta.
“We go through rigorous training under Coach Herve Renard. He is a great motivator and I am happy about the transformation taking place in Zambian football at the moment, our FA boss, Kalusha Bwalya has been working hard in that regard.”
—Tunde Oyedele, who was in Accra