Zambia will not have it easy: Sudan football coach

Lusaka (Zambia) – Head coach of the Sudan national football team Mohammed Abdallah has said Zambia will not have it easy against them when the two teams meet in the 2014 World Cup qualifier this Saturday.

The Sudanese team arrived Wednesday for the return game to be played at the 40,000-seater Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola city, reports Xinhua.

While acknowledging that his team was out of the contention for the World Cup, the Sudanese coach said his players were focused and determined to give Zambia a good run for their money.

“There is no easy victory in football or easy game. We are here so that the players can play a good game. These are young players we are building. It’s not for the World Cup, but for future national assignments,” he said Thursday.

The Sudanese trainer further lamented that FIFA’s decision to deduct three points from them was a blow that adversely affected the team’s morale and performance in the 2014 World Cup qualifying race.

According to him, had FIFA not deducted the points, Sudan could have challenged to finish first in Group D.

Sudan beat Zambia 2-0 in Khartoum June 2, 2012 but FIFA stripped them of the victory for using an ineligible player Saif Ali and awarded Zambia three points and a 3-0 win.

Zambia currently leads Group D on 10 points, one better than Ghana, with Lesotho trailing on two points while Sudan have a single point.