Zambia coach George Lwandamina says the fierce competition for places has made selecting his starting XI a difficult task ahead of Friday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Algeria.
The Chipolopolo have completed their preparations for the Group I opener in Tizi Ouzou, with Lwandamina pleased with the response from his players during the training camp.
The coach says every player has made a strong case for inclusion, leaving the technical bench with difficult decisions to make before kick-off.
“It is very, very difficult because everyone is putting in a lot of effort,” Lwandamina said during his pre-match press conference.
Zambia began their preparations in Lusaka before the arrival of the foreign-based players completed the squad in camp.
Lwandamina said the team had enjoyed a positive build-up and praised the players for their commitment to the national team.
“Our journey started from Lusaka, where we had the local composition with the three professionals. We trained very well and the response was good,” he said.
“I am very delighted with the overwhelming response of all those we called. Everyone who was on the list has reported, which is a positive thing. They have shown that they want to fight for Mother Zambia.”
With the squad now complete, competition for positions has intensified, giving Lwandamina a welcome selection headache ahead of the Algeria test.
The coach says the focus, however, remains firmly on Zambia rather than the changes within the Algerian camp.
Algeria have undergone changes to their squad and technical set-up, but Lwandamina insists those developments will not alter Zambia’s approach.
“They still remain Algeria and we respect everything in this tournament. It is just about how best we prepare ourselves,” he said.
“We have to know what is in our camp, not what is in the other camp.”
Lwandamina has also worked with his technical staff to prepare the players for the challenge of facing Algeria in front of a home crowd at the Hocine Aït Ahmed Stadium.
“We have been psyching the players, and the players that we called seem to have a strong emotional fibre,” he said.
Zambia will face Algeria on Friday, 25 September, with kick-off scheduled for 21:00 hours Zambian time.
The match will be Zambia’s first Group I fixture in the qualification race for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
For Lwandamina, the final challenge before kick-off is now deciding which players have done enough in training to earn a place in his starting XI.
