‘The Talent Is There’ – Charles Musonda Responds to Lwandamina’s Algeria Explanation

Former Zambia international Charles Musonda has challenged George ‘Chicken’ Lwandamina’s explanation that Algeria’s significantly larger population gives the North African nation an advantage in national-team selection, arguing that Zambia’s challenge is not necessarily a shortage of talent but how the talent available is identified, selected and trusted.

Lwandamina raised the issue of population following Zambia’s 3-1 defeat to Algeria in Tizi Ouzou on Friday, pointing to the depth available to the Fennecs because of the size of their population. The Chipolopolo coach suggested that Algeria’s larger population gives them a considerably bigger pool of players from which to build their national team, while Zambia have a much smaller population and therefore a narrower selection base.

Musonda, however, offered a different interpretation of the argument. The former Anderlecht midfielder believes that when population is discussed in the context of football, what ultimately matters is the amount and quality of talent that can be identified and developed. In his view, Zambia already has enough talented players to compete, provided the national team makes effective use of those players.

“When Chicken George says ‘population’ he means talent,” Musonda wrote in a post reflecting on Zambia’s defeat.

The former international pointed to Zambia’s attacking options as evidence that the country is not necessarily short of players capable of competing at international level. He was particularly encouraged by the attacking formation deployed against Algeria, saying it was one of the occasions when he had seen Zambia field several players with the ability to score.

“It was interesting to see Zambia’s formation against Algeria. For the first time in a long time, I saw a team with four players capable of scoring,” he said.

Musonda’s argument centres on the importance of club form when national teams are selected. Rather than focusing primarily on the size of the available population, he believes players should earn their places through their performances for their clubs and then be given the confidence to reproduce that form at international level.

“Today, I am seeing Zambian players performing. That is how a national team should be selected on merit. Club level performance matters,” he said.

The comments come after Zambia experienced a difficult night against Algeria despite showing attacking promise at different stages of the match. The hosts took an early lead through Jaouen Hadjam, who scored inside the opening two minutes, putting Zambia on the back foot almost immediately.

The Chipolopolo eventually found their response after the break when captain Fashion Sakala equalised in the 57th minute. The goal briefly brought Zambia back into the contest and offered hope of earning a positive result away from home.

Algeria, however, regained control soon afterwards. Ibrahim Maza restored the hosts’ advantage in the 67th minute before Anis Hadj Moussa added a third five minutes later, leaving Zambia unable to recover during the final stages.

Despite the defeat, Musonda believes the match demonstrated that Zambia possess attacking players capable of troubling strong opposition. He specifically pointed to several of the options available to Lwandamina, stressing that the quality exists within the squad.

“We have options. Daka, ‘Cagliari boy’, Sobobo, Lameck Banda and the Tanzanian boy. The talent is there,” he said.

However, Musonda also stressed that individual attacking quality has to be accompanied by collective responsibility. In particular, he warned against players becoming overly focused on scoring themselves instead of making decisions that benefit the team.

“But they should not be selfish in front of goal. It’s the team that scores, not an individual.”

One player whose absence was felt in midfield, according to Musonda, was Kings Kangwa. The Panathinaikos midfielder missed the Algeria match through suspension, removing one of Zambia’s established options in the middle of the pitch.

“We definitely missed the boy from Greece in midfield,” Musonda said.

Kangwa’s absence was particularly relevant as Zambia attempted to compete with an Algeria side that was able to regain control after the visitors had levelled the score. Musonda nevertheless maintained that Zambia have alternatives and that the key is identifying the players in form and giving them the confidence to perform.

The former Anderlecht star also called on Lwandamina and his technical staff to settle on a clear first-choice goalkeeper and give that player consistent backing. He argued that mistakes are part of football and that confidence is an important component of goalkeeping.

“Decide who your No. 1 goalkeeper is and trust him. Even the best make mistakes. Confidence matters. Mweene knows better. You can’t question him,” Musonda wrote, referring to goalkeeping coach Kennedy Mweene.

Musonda also praised Sakala for his performance against Algeria, particularly the captain’s reaction after Zambia fell behind early in the match. The forward’s second-half equaliser briefly gave the Chipolopolo renewed belief and demonstrated his threat in attack.

“Nobody is bigger than the team. If you want your place, earn it through performances. Sakala did exactly that — brilliant goal and always looked dangerous,” he said.

At the same time, Musonda believes Sakala has an additional responsibility within the team’s defensive structure, particularly when Zambia lose possession and need to form a compact defensive block.

“But he should help to make the defensive block even. ‘K’ right side must do it.”

That aspect became particularly important after Zambia restored parity. Algeria quickly regained the initiative, scoring twice within a five-minute period and turning a competitive contest into a 3-1 defeat.

For Musonda, however, the result should not lead Zambia into underestimating their next opponents. The Chipolopolo are now preparing for their next 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Togo in Ndola on Tuesday, with the need to respond immediately after the opening-day defeat in Algeria.

Togo began their qualifying campaign with a 1-0 victory over Burundi, meaning Zambia will face a side that has already collected three points in Group I. Musonda believes the different results should not be used as the sole measure of the relative strength of the teams.

He pointed out that Zambia’s match against Algeria was highly competitive despite the final score and warned that Togo must be approached with the same level of respect.

“I watched Togo-Burundi. Algeria-Zambia was more competitive but don’t take any team lightly,” he said.

Musonda’s broader message is that football cannot be decided simply by comparing populations, squad sizes or reputations. Once the teams enter the pitch, performance, organisation, decision-making and execution determine what happens over the course of 90 minutes.

“Football isn’t played on paper — it’s played on the pitch. 90 plus minutes.”

His comments therefore shift the focus from the size of Zambia’s population to the quality of the football structures and decisions that determine which players reach the national team. For Musonda, Zambia already has players capable of competing, but those players must be identified through their club performances, selected on merit and trusted to perform.

The former international’s comments also come at a crucial point for Lwandamina, who is beginning his latest spell in charge of the Chipolopolo with the immediate task of navigating the 2027 AFCON qualification campaign. After the defeat in Algeria, Zambia now have an opportunity to respond on home soil against Togo.

Rather than dwelling on the population debate, Musonda wants the national team and supporters to turn their attention towards the next match and get behind the players.

“Now let’s stop talking and support the team in Ndola,” Musonda said.

He concluded by stressing that Zambia has a long footballing tradition and that the country’s ability to produce quality players cannot simply be measured by population size.

“We are a footballing nation from way back when our population was even less but had talent.”

For Zambia, the immediate challenge is now to translate that talent into results. The defeat in Tizi Ouzou has provided Lwandamina and his technical team with areas to address, while Tuesday’s meeting with Togo offers the Chipolopolo a chance to respond on home soil.