Beating Eagles is my priority —Zambia coach

ZAMBIA’S stand-in coach, Wedson Nyirenda reckons that the result of the Russia 2018 World Cup qualifier match against Nigeria matters to him because anything could happen afterwards.

The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) is looking for a foreign coach for the Chipolopolo but Nyirenda was on Tuesday given the mandate of beating the Eagles on October 9 in Ndola.

“I am pleased to have this task even in an interim capacity,” he told Zambia Rage FM.

“When you are asked to take Zambia through a Nigerian barrier, then you know you have a top job to do. We won the Nations Cup in 2012, and Nigeria took it in 2013, we have failed to go to the 2017 AFCON, so also has Nigeria, we are on the same level. Zambia has never been to the World Cup but if we start well against the Eagles, anything can happen,’’ said Nyirenda.

However, even with the coaching change in his team, Chipolopolo’s captain, Rainford Kalaba, still believes that Zambia has every chance to qualify for the Russia 2018 World Cup from Group B.

Apart from Nigeria and Zambia, the group  also includes  Algeria and Cameroon.

“We have a chance to qualify, we still believe in ourselves,” he said.

“Even if we failed to qualify to the Africa Cup, we don’t have to get distracted; we have to work hard on the field and stay focused and united until we reach our destiny in Russia 2018.”