Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Algeria Coach Baffled Over Chipolopolo’s Penalties

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Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi is baffled over the two penalties referee Ali Adeliad of Comoros awarded hosts Zambia in Thursdays 3-3 draw at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka.

The result was inconsequential to the defending AFCON champions and 2021 Group H qualifiers leaders who had already qualified with two games to spare.

But for Zambia, the draw in their penultimate Group H match meant the end of the of road for them for a third successive time that saw them fail to qualify to the AFCON.

Both penalties looked suspiciously weak when Patson Daka and Moses Phiri tumbled in the area in the 33rd and 81st minutes respectively.

Patson stepped up to dispatch both spot-kicks.

“In my personal opinion? Very hard to accept. It is already hard to accept when it is your mistakes, meaning when you can only blame yourself or blame your players,” Belmadi said.

“It is even harder when you cannot blame yourself and you cannot blame your players.”

Adelaid later ruled out Patson 88th minute goal for offside.

Zambia stay bottom of Group H with 4 points heading into their dead-rubber date away in Harare on Monday against Zimbabwe who have finished second and qualified with a game to spare on 8 points, three points behind leaders Algeria.

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