Chipolopolo coach Wedson Nyirenda has saluted striker Patson Daka for inspiring Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg to victory in the 2016/2017 UEFA Youth Cup final.
The Zambia Under-20 striker scored the equalizer in Salzburg’s 2-1 win over Benfica of Portugal in the final played on April 24 in Nyon, Switzerland.
Daka came on in the 55th minute to score a 72nd minute equalizer and four minutes later his team mate Alex Schmidt clinched the winner before Salzburg finished with ten men in stoppage time.
It was Daka’s second goal in as many games in the tournament after scoring in their 2-1 semifinal win over Barcelona on April 21.
“He has given a so-called underdog team the UEFA Trophy which is also a plus for Zambia,” Nyirenda said.
“He has lifted our flag so high, and I think he is still lifting it.”
The honour was Daka’s third in five months after winning the Cosafa U20 title last December in South Africa and the U20 AFCON crown as hosts in March.
“He has done it at the Cosafa Under-20 Cup, he has done it at the U20 AFCON and he is still about to do it at the coming FIFA U20 World Cup,” Nyirenda said.
Daka is part of Zambia’s 21-member team that will be taking part at the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup that South Korea will host from May 20 to June 11.
