“AVRAM GRANT’S HIS EXCUSES: FROM FLIGHTS TO FRIENDLIES, WHAT WENT WRONG FOR ZAMBIA..”
By Uncle Philip Banda
Following Zambia’s disappointing 2-0 loss to DR Congo in the CHAN 2024 group clash at Nyayo Stadium, head coach Avram Grant has offered a series of explanations for the team’s lackluster performance — ranging from travel delays to lack of preparation matches.
“We didn’t play well. We didn’t play like we wanted to play,” Grant admitted. “But it’s also the first time this group is playing together. We didn’t have friendly games, and we couldn’t even play between ourselves because of problems with the flights we had planned.”
The Israeli tactician blamed disrupted preparations, citing delayed flights, missed training sessions, and the failure to arrange even basic practice matches. While some may view these as valid challenges, many fans believe Grant is simply reaching for excuses after a performance that lacked tactical sharpness and team cohesion.
What’s more concerning is Grant’s own confession that this was the first time the group had played together. In a tournament like CHAN — which relies on domestic players — team chemistry and local knowledge should have been built long before arriving in Nairobi. The absence of a single friendly game paints a picture of poor planning and questionable logistics.
Zambian football fans have not held back, taking to social media to question the preparedness of the technical bench. If flights and planning disrupted progress, why wasn’t there a contingency? Why couldn’t even a scrimmage be organized?
Critics argue that these “excuses” risk becoming a recurring theme under Grant’s tenure. Since taking charge, Zambia’s playing identity has been vague at best, and this latest performance has only amplified concerns.
Zambia’s path forward in CHAN 2024 is now steep. The team must bounce back — not just physically, but mentally — if they hope to progress. And for Grant, the time for excuses is running out. The spotlight is now firmly on solutions, leadership, and results.
Will Grant continue blaming the circumstances — or finally take charge of them?
Those two, the one for the boys and the other for girls are dead wood.The have nothing to give to Zambian soccer but just perpetual humiliation . They are just in for the money.Their colleague has just harvested $1mn in a goals draught without even spending on fertiliser