Cosafa Cup: Zambia’s Sredojevic ready for the sack after exit

Zambia coach Milutin Sredojevic has stated he is proud of what he has achieved since taking charge of the national team despite their early exit from the 2021 Cosafa Cup.

Chipolopolo failed to make it to the knockout stage of the competition being held in South Africa after losing two of their Group A matches – 2-1 against Lesotho and 1-0 against Eswatini.

After winning 2-1 against Botswana, Zambia then managed a 0-0 draw against South Africa and it was not enough to guarantee them passage to the knockout stage, meaning it will be the first time in in the history of the tournament that they failed to advance.

What has been said?

“I am very proud of each moment I have spent as Zambia coach. I am present, whether I will be a coach it will be purely on the people that are in charge,” Sredojevic said as quoted by Lusaka Times.

“Supporters very often look at the game in a very emotional way. However, administrators are the ones to decide whether it is enough or it is not enough.

“I am pushing myself to the limits and telling myself that my conscience is clean. I have given my best.”

On losing their opening match against Lesotho, the former Orlando Pirates coach blamed his side for not being clinical enough with the chances created.

"Without wishing to be an excuse maker or blame shifter, we have felt the bitter side of football," Sredojevic said.

"We gave respect to the opponent but not over-respect, we have self-respected ourselves, we imposed ourselves very well, opened the game very well in the first half, it was supposed to be more than one goal.

"We created clear-cut chances that we did not convert, there were crucial moments in the game, instead of putting the game beyond the opponents’ reach, we conceded that goal."

"In moments of domination, in moments when we have been totally in control of the game and against the run of play, we conceded that goal that put us in a position that we needed to go back to the drawing board and analyse the second half and prepare very well for the game against Eswatini that is supposed to help us to bounce back."