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By ZamChro Correspondent

Commenting on the team’s 1-3 loss to Zimbabwe on Sunday in the just-ended COSAFA Senior Challenge Cup final, Zambia soccer team assistant trainer George Lwandamina said on Tuesday shortly after arrival from Zimbabwe that the team made a lot of mistakes as a result of being nervous that saw their opponents taking advantage to score two quick goals.

He said the mistakes were largely because of players’ inexperience and that it was the first time most of them played before such an intimidating crowd that rallied behind their team from the first whistle.

Lwandamina said, however that, the team played well, considering that it was a developmental side that Zambia was featuring in a deciding and final match.

He said playing in front of such a huge crowd could be frightening for inexperienced players as evidenced by the way the defence conceded goals.

He said the COSAFA tournament provided a good platform for the players to be assessed and that team development was key for Zambian football to reach greater heights.

“Most players were nervous and that led to the team to concede goals but they played well and it is sad that they did not win the trophy. However, we should not overlook the importance of development. The team needs the support of everyone,” the assistant trainer said.

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