TotalEnergies U17 AFCON: Bakala thankful for Algeria experience

Zambia’s Ian Bakala says they leave Algeria with plenty of lessons and experience, following their elimination from the TotalEnergies U17 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Zambians finished bottom of the group with three points that came from their final day 2-1 win over group winners Morocco.

“I think this is a good experience for us as a team. We have picked so many lessons from the tournament and definitely, there is an urge to go back home, restructure and qualify again to do better,” said the tactician.

Reflecting on their winning end to the tournament the coach said; “We lost our first two matches which was a disappointment for us, but today, the most important thing was to win and I consider this a great achievement for us.”

The Zambian coach says he is proud of what he was able to accomplish with his charges at the tournament and he notes there are many positives to pick on.

Zambia started off their tournament with defeat at the hands of Nigeria, before going down 3-2 to COSAFA rivals South Africa.

“We regret the two defeats of course, but I think my players worked really well. We are still learning and we will continue to work towards more qualifications. This is the development phase of these players and I trust they will do well from here,” Bakala noted.