Chipolopolo coach Avram Grant is backing under-fire goalkeeper Toaster Nsabata despite his howler against Lesotho on Wednesday and concerns over his lack of game time at Sekhukhune United.
The sparsely used Sekhukhune stopper started in Wednesday evenings2023 AFCON Group H qualifier against Lesotho that Zambia rallied to win 3-1 at home at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
But Toaster Nsabata’s 31st minute howler handed Lesotho a one-nil lead against the run of play when he fumbled to keep out Tsosrelo Bereng’s effort before Zambia’s comeback that saw them collect a vital victory.
GRANT ON TOASTER
“He played the last two games [for his club] and he was good. Sometimes at the national team, you play players that don’t please every week,” Grant said.
“He was fantastic in training. He made a mistake, it happens I hope it will not happen again but this is part of life’s mistakes.
“Football is not only about beautiful goals we score. It also has mistakes, unfortunately, it was against us but it doesn’t matter because we lose as a team and win as a team and the most important thing is that we showed a good mentality to come from one down.”
Nsabata is Zambia’s number one for the last couple of years since Kennedy Mweene’s still unofficial retirement.
Meanwhile, Zambia arrived in Johannesburg in the wee hours of Friday morning on a chartered flight ahead of Monday’s final leg of their back-to-back Group H dates against Lesotho.
The match will be played in Johannesburg at Dobsonville which is Lesotho’s home ground because their Maseru home base does not meet CAF specifications to host competitive international matches.
Chipolopolo has 6 points from three games played while Lesotho is bottom of Group H with 1 point.
Comoros and Cote d’Ivoire were by press time third and second on 3 and 4 points respectively ahead of their early Friday evening clash that The Elephants are hosting the Indian Ocean islanders in Bouake.
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