The Zambia national soccer team has left for Kenya ahead of the Gabon 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Kenya.
George Lwandamina has carried a 23 man squad led skipper Rainford Kalaba.
Zambia will be looking to pick an outright against a side they have dominated over in past fixtures.
The two last met on 28 November 2009 at the same venue for Sunday’s game, Nyayo Stadium, during the CECAFA Senior challenge Cup.
Zambia triumphed 2 – 0 with goals from James Chamanga and Felix Sunzu under Herve Renard.
Squad which has traveled:
Goalkeppers: Kennedy Mweene (Mamelodi Sundowns), Daniel Munyao (Red Arrows), Jacob Banda (Zesco United),
Defenders: Aaron Katebe (Maghreb Atlantic), Stoppila Sunzu (Lille, France), Christopher Munthali (Power Dynamos), Boyd Mkandawire (Napsa Stars), Benedict Chepeshi (Red Arrows), Donashano Malama (Nkana)
Midfielders: Rainford Kalaba, Nathan Sinkala (both TP Mazembe), Chisamba Lungu (Ural FC, Russia), Kondwani Mtonga (North East, India), Buchizya Mfune, Jackson Chirwa (both Green Buffaloes), Benson Sakala (Power Dynamos), Solomon Sakala (Kabwe Warriors), Paul Katema, (Red Arrows), Lubambo Musonda (Ulisses, Armenia)
Strikers: Collins Mbesuma (Mpumalanga Black Aces), Jackson Mwanza, Winston Kalengo (both from Zesco), Friday Samu (Green Buffaloes)
Zamfoot website is one of the few available and relied upon on Zambian Football and it would do well if your reporting was factually correct and if its an opinionated report let be filed as one.
Yesterday you reported that Kabaso Chongo was chopped from the travelling party and today you are reporting that he is travelling without any indication as to the reason of change. You have Chisamba Lungu appearing twice in a 23 or 24 man squad?
Just saying otherwise don’t be discouraged.
Just wondering as well, particularly on Kabaso Chongo. I thought he was dropped.
Kabaso is not in the team. The text has been corrected.
I like Zamfoot, they accept mistakes and correct them.
So were busy yesterday talking about travel arrangements and the team has left on schedule. Thumbs up to the FAZ and we want positive results now from the team.
Awe bane. Team leaving on time is expected. Isn’t sad that we find ourselves congratulating FAZ for doing something so simple
Good luck guys.
It’s good to see Kabaso Chongo on the list in the team to face Kenya. He is playing well for The Mazembe regularly, playing Champion’s league football. So he’s quite an inclusion. The coach has done well combining experience and youth. The time to start turning around the fortunes of our game is now. Go Zambia Go!
Very useless frontline apart from mbesuma. Useless strikers who have been given plenty of chances but have shamefully disgraced us.
You never watched Friday Samu, he just joined Green Buffaloes, he is hot wire. 11 players are too few, they should play 15 so Zambia can feature all mid-fielders.
with loadshedding even if the usless znbc televise the match or if supersport do . wat a useless economy we have. how much is the kwacha today? meanwhile the “president” is busy moving about. were is the national team coach? in a country were there is a crisis things like hiring a coach become secondary and football plumets
All the best guys, but the frontline is not looking good. I just wish the young man Kangwa was there. But after watching the ZPL of late, maybe Winston Kalengo can partner Mbesuma. We have not choice but rally behind the boys and wish them well. Lwandamina chose the squad, and we will judge him after the games.
Kennedy Mweene
Kabaso Chongo Stopila Sunzu Aaron Kate Boyd Mkandawire
Kondwani Mtonga
Lubambo Musonda Chisamba Lungu Rainford Kalaba
Jackson Mwanza Collins Mbesuma
Kennedy Mweene
Benedict Chepeshi Stopila Sunzu Aaron Kate Boyd Mkandawire
Kondwani Mtonga
Lubambo Musonda Chisamba Lungu Rainford Kalaba
Jackson Mwanza Collins Mbesuma
http://www.kenyan-post.com/2015/09/upbeat-harambee-stars-coach-bobby.html
The frontline may look weak on paper but football has a funny way of unearthing stars. The absence of other strikers could be making of another. After all our striking department is up for grabs even with the presence of those not included in this squad. May be if Mayuka rediscovers his form otherwise the rest are a case of on and off.
kabaso is not in the team. what went wrong he’s a good defender though. playing regularly at TP n in the champions league too. Good luck the chipolopolo.
Mayuka in his current form is still 10 tens better than Jackson Mwanza.
Kenya’s Harambee Stars will take on Zambia’s Chipolopolo in an AFCON 2017 qualifier in Nairobi on Sunday and coach Bobby Williamson is confident of victory.
Williamson has a host of foreign based players at his disposal including captain victor Wanyama who plies his trade with Premier League outfit, Southampton.
“We are not taking the game against Zambia lightly we respect them but I believe we can upset them as they have not been fairing on well of late. I have assembled a very good side and if they can follow instructions then nothing is impossible.
“Even though we have only four days to train as a team I am optimistic the players know what is expected of them since most of them are professionals.”
“Zambia has lately lost its impetus in African football and that is why I have the confidence that we can get the important points but that is not to mean we underrate them however looking at their record they have not been very impressive so its important to work on an important win while at home.” Williamson said.
However, Stars will have to make do without the services of MacDonald Mariga (unattached), Sudan based Teddy Akumu and Finland based Clifton Miheso after they sustained injuries.
Kenya is Group B alongside Congo Brazzaville, Zambia and Guinea-Bissau.
Those strikers are useless why didn’t they call Rodgers kola in Greece and we are missing Mayuka who needs time to settle at metz. Jacob mulenga should really have come. Mbesuma is the only striker there.
john at his best-kekekekeke. I actually enjoy your divergent “controversial” posts my man, keep them coming. Your Mayuka has a right and not a privelege to play right?
Well, will be watching and good luck. Only positive thing is that college football has started and that will excite me and save me some blood pressure created by the affairs with Chipolopolo. Go Zambia, go Cyclones, we got this.
@ john let’s stop crying over spilled milk…we work with wat we have… I would advise th coach to with 4 2 3 1 formation
1. Mweene
2. Chipeshi
3. Boyd mkandawire
4 Aaron katebe
5 sunzu
6. Kondwani
8 Nathan
9 collins
10 Rainford
7. Musonda
11 chisamba lungu
Nathan n kondwani play deep to cover th back four,Mupa get a free role,if we r leading in th 50th we withdraw chisamba put in kalengo n musonda for paul katema/sakala we move to 4 3 3 towards th last 15 mins we move to 4 5 1 to completely shut th opponets…wen th start pressuring in th 88th min remove Collins for jackson jst to kill their tempo…we shud win by 2-0
@Man Jose, you better be hired by FAZ. If Lwandamina could humble and follow your like-up, it will be not be 2-0 but 4-0 in favor of Zambia.
Ok
Loving this line up
LET US HAVE COMFIDENCE IN OUR GUYS. LETS GO COPPER BULLETS .
All I know is that the copper
bullets are a tricky side that has an unpredictable pedigree. They are one of those sides that are hard to beat. If you have never played against them or you have only watched them play , their style will always deceive you into concluding that they are a weak side. Wait for Sunday’s battle to understand who Zambia are in African football. While waiting for that game try to answer these questions : 1. How and why has Zambia been a common feature at the CAN finals?
2.How and why has Zambia been among the top sides in their region despite the drop in soccer standards of the country that many know about.
3. When Zambia triumphed at the last hurdle in 2012 how many of you thought it would be that way? Only a few, and I am one of them. Zambian football and style of play is no ordinary style. Zambia will always be Zambia in the football fraternity.
We just need to lessen on the long ball approach we have adopted lately as 1-We render our strikers useless who are stationary always trying to stop and turn giving a competitive advantage to opposing defenders-for those that have watched Odhiambo the Zesco Kenyan defender, it makes his work easier with his great aerial strength and no nonsense man marking 2-It renders our midfielders useless as balls always by-pass them 3-It leads to our opponents gaining mileage putting us under a barrage of attack wave after wave as Dennis Liwewe would put it 4-Our usually lean and slender players are easily outmuscled off the ball as they try to trap the ball and dribble (unlike receiving a square pass and dribbling). Mbesuma needs to receive short double one two passes as he jinks his way right deep inside enemy territory and not long balls and trying to turn his heavy body!
The problem is Zambia lacks consistency thats why most people don’t rate us highly. We are on and off. When you expect Zambia to win, they lose or draw especially with minnows. Case in point is vs Guinea Bissau, vs Lesotho, etc. Otherwise I agree with you Zambia is among the top footballing nations in Africa. If only we can be consistent, that will be better. I won’t even be surprised if we beat Kenya tomorrow.
I am watching highlights between Kenya and Congo. To say the least Kenya is not a good side. They still have a long way. The Copper bullets just have to stick to the game plan. Allow the Kenyans to run around like headless chickens and contain them. They easily tire-out.
In addition to that, the Kenyans are very slow. If we can play fast running football with Kalaba and Lubambo on the wings, supplying balls to Kalengo and Mbesuma in the center forward, we will hammer them.
The Kenyan coach is ignorant of Zambian soccer. It will be so silly for Zambia to lose to a team that had 4 days to prepare……
Bobby,Bobby,Bobby Zambia is a very big footballing national which you cannot just say you will beat easly,moreover the Uganda you coached is far if not better than this Harabe Stars you are currently in charge of and am a trillion per cent sure our boys will just roll over the stars wite ease.
@ SLY I like your assessment of the Zambian team and their nondescript style of play. You cannot plan against them though they lack the bite upfront. Coz of that the most likely result is a draw, which won’t be good for th two. The front four appear to be average going by past perfomance for chipos. This is where Kola cud have made a difference, but for the falling out with the Faz president! Its believed Kola refused to share his allowance with Kalu after the Chile friendly. If this is hearesay,the powers that b in Faz must come out in the open to clear the air. The reason for side lining Kola shud b spelled out. He has every right to play for this country. Just like Kalu has a right to vie for the Faz presidency. The primitive way of handling finances is the source of the problems with allowances! Since faz are in the process of restructuring,I wud suggest that; 1. Players allowances shouldn’t be in cash,but preferably by cheque! 2. Alternatively allowances shud b deposited into players personal bank accounts. 3. Receiving allowances in the presence of officials is quite embarrassing and shud stop forthwith. I believe this will eliminate the nonsense surrounding issues of allowances! I can’t imagine in this day and age players lining up to be paid like casual workers! I do sympathise with Kalu for not being in gainful employment,but he shud make concerted efforts to find something to do than live off the sweat of the players.And for doing nothing. Therein lies the major source of this problem.
Thats right ba Slim..”mwayiyasa nondo muliso”..to.mean’..you have hit the nail on the heard’.
why geting jackson mwanza instead of walter bwalya or luke lungu
Next Graeme use Luke lungu is shape upfront.
Sorry I meant in the next game consider Luke lingu he seems to be shape upfront
jst becoz he scored those two good goals againest nkana?
Goodluck and we expect maximum points ifyama draw tatulefwaya we are sick and tired of them.
@Slim Paying players by cash !!!! Am I dreaming or reading your blog awake ? If this is happening why can not the players voice out ? Where are the vocal people like Simaata Simaata and others
Am ready for a draw coz I dont see us beating Kenya
Pastor long time!
Welcome back sir!
Uncle Bobs long time indeed
But is Fyayo TEMBO ? Is he injured ? He played so well when he came on as a sub last 20 minutes of the game Zam Vs G.Bissau. Any one with an idea please!!
Umm!!
GHANA BLACK STARS WON A DIFFICULT MATCH BETWEEN
RWANDA IN THE AFCON MATCH IN KIGALI TODAY..
RWANDA-0 GHANA BLACK STARS-1
GOOD LUCK TO THE CHIPOS IN KENYA ..
Kenya 1: Zambia :0 Full time.
Go Kenya, go!
what a pityful pitch by rwanda
It’s irresponsible on the part of CAF to allow countries to use super substandard pitches like this for international competition resulting in injuries. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist for a country in Africa to provide just one good pitch for international football. CAF is aware of this criminal activities by some host countries but still turns blind eye on the issue. We end up sending soccer minnows who cheat in competitions to World cup only to be exposed.
Goodluck to the boys.
but all th same u wil fight with an elder but th bones will detremine th outcom
Zambia will carry the day
Ofcz my Team is in Swazland,and we are winning,bt i wish u neighbours all the best bt dnt tak Kenya lightly coz 2dys game hs no….Most of u ur banking on past successes.Wakeup,C if ur game is progressing ur fast bcoming minnows as far as ur results r concerned lately whr is tht consinstence Ohh my gud neba anywy i stil lyk ur team and is stronger than my bloved FLAMES…soon we takin ur position wak up
Zam = 3 kenya =1 go zam go!!! apoo….apaaa