LUBANGO: Star-less Zambia are the gate crashers at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals party in Angola which finishes late on Monday when they face former champions Nigeria at Tundavala Stadium.
Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Nigeria had to be present having qualified for the World Cup in South Africa this year while hosts Angola and defending champions Egypt were natural guest-list choices.
Locked in a four-way struggle for two places with former winners Cameroon and Tunisia and much-improved Gabon, Zambia were given little hope at home or abroad of surviving the first-round cull.
But a draw with Tunisia, a narrow loss to Cameroon and a victory over Gabon saw Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets) qualify as group winners on goals scored after a bizarre mini-league within a mini-league that caused great confusion.
So it was no surprise when 40-year-old French coach Herve Renard dashed down the touchline to give leading Zambian football official Kalusha Bwalya the mother of all bear hugs after qualification was confirmed.
Bwalya, skipper of the team beaten 2-1 by Nigeria in the 1994 final when the countries last met, displayed courage in choosing then unknown Renard two years ago after being tipped off by senior French coach Claude Le Roy.
Renard was an assistant when Le Roy guided hosts Ghana to third place at the 2008 Nations Cup and holding Egypt in Cairo and finishing third at the African Nations Championship last year have been highlights of his Zambia tenure.
With his pre-tournament promise of a last-eight place fulfilled, Renard sees no reason why his team cannot bridge a 28-year gap and clip the wings of the Super Eagles.
Zambia triumphed 3-0 in Libya during 1982 before Nigeria won a semi-final 2-0 eight years later and then the final in which Zambia fielded a virtual new team after a plane crash off Gabon a year before killed most of their stars.
Nigeria have strong and famous footballers but the pressure is on them, not on us. We have nothing to lose and I believe there is a good chance we can beat them, boasted often media-shy Renard to reporters.
My team has always been very talented, technically gifted and know how to play the game only to be let down by poor discipline and concentration at vital moments. That is where I had a problem, but it is changing slowly.
Renard also praised the input of former African Footballer of the Year Bwalya, who has played for, captained and coached the national team and now heads the national football association FAZ.
We do exchange ideas and I listen to his advice before making decisions. Kalusha does not interfere because he knows you cannot be a coach unless you make decisions yourself.
Nigeria, among six pre-tournament title frontrunners, were outclassed by Egypt and scraped past tiny neighbors Benin before finally clicking to overwhelm Mozambique and finish Group C runners-up.
Russia-based wide midfielder-cum-striker Osaze Odemwingie scored twice to send the Mozambican Mambas (Snakes) packing and believes the 1980 and 1994 champions can go all the way in Angola and win the January 31 climax.
My goals have brought out our confidence. Now the belief is that we can go on and lift the cup. Nigeria is a great football nation and those who wear the green and white must carry the responsibility that goes with it.
Nigeria fear no team. We respect them all and expect them to respect us. If you study this tournament big teams have been upset, but character and pedigree brought them back into contention.
While Renard sleeps peacefully knowing his primary mission has been achieved, opposite number Shaibu Amodu faces another critical examination of his credentials.
Despite only one competitive loss since taking over two years ago, critics demand his immediate dismissal and supporters within the Nigerian football hierarchy say a semi-finals place is the minimum requirement for survival.
