NAPSA Stars midfielder Jimmy Mukeya has been named in coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic final squad for the 20th edition of the COSAFA Cup.
Mukeya who is yet to make his senior debut was on song for NAPSA Stars in the just-ended season despite the team getting relegated. He was also very influential for the Zambia U-20 national team last year at the junior COSAFA tournament.
2017 U-20 AFCON winner Prosper Chiluya has also made the final squad together with former U-20 skipper Prince Mumba.
Micho has surprisingly dropped Polokwane City goalkeeper Cyril Mwenya Chibwe with Kennedy Mweene, Gregory Sanjase, and Lameck Siame making the cut.
Skipper Kabaso Chongo leads the squad alongside experienced players like Simon Silwimba, Adrian Chama, Augustine Mulenga, and Justin Shonga.
The Chipolopolo are placed in Group A alongside South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini and Lesotho. Zambia’s first game is on Thursday against Lesotho before facing Eswatini two days later.
On July 13 the Chipolopolo will face the Zebras of Botswana before concluding their Group A action 24 hours later against South Africa.
Zambia is the defending champions and has won the Cosafa Cup five times, one behind Zimbabwe.
FINAL SQUAD
(GOALKEEPERS)
Kennedy Mweene (Mamelodi Sundowns-RSA), Gregory Sanjase (Young Green Eagles), Lameck Siame (Kabwe Warriors)
(DEFENDERS)
Adrian Chama, Simon Silwimba (both Zesco United), Isaac Shamujompa (Buildcon), Dominic Chanda (Kabwe Warriors), Kabaso Chongo (TP Mazembe-DRC), Benedict Chepeshi (Red Arrows), Zachariah Chilongoshi (Power Dynamos), Prosper Chiluya (Red Arrows)
(MIDFIELDERS)
Benson Sakala, Spencer Sautu (both Power Dynamos), Salulani Phiri (Polokwane City-RSA), Augustine Mulenga (Amazulu-RSA), Kelvin Mubanga (Zesco United), Felix Bulaya (Red Arrows), Gamphani Lungu (SuperSport United-RSA), Roderick Kabwe (Black Leopards-RSA), Prince Mumba (Kabwe Warriors), Collins Sikombe (Lusaka Dynamos)
(STRIKERS)
Brian Mwila (Buildcon), Justin Shonga (Cape Town City-RSA), Moses Phiri (Zanaco), Jimmy Mukeya (Napasa Stars)
Could have include Sebastian Mwange and Emmanuel Chabula as well -both did very well at last COSAFA.
Solid midfield and attack- SA and Botswana should take note!
Could have include Sebastian Mwange and Emmanuel Chabula as well -both did very well at last COSAFA. Solid midfield and attack- SA and Botswana should take note!
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Strikers not too sharp to break a tight defence. Good to see young blood Mukeya cropped
What is Shonga doing in this team for goodness sake! How do you drop triple C and tag along an inactive player at club level. This Micho cost us a chance to Afcon! He left out CCC ,chongo, kalaba, sunzu. Now he has dropped Tandi Mwape and Chibwe for an inactive Mweene. At least he should give reasons for his actions. Otherwise failure at cosafa should be the last straw. Kamanga will be to blame this time!
Man we have got a foolish coach in an overconfident micho how can you leave out chibwe for local keepers who can notanage to contain average strikers in the local league..chibwe signs for a new club in sa premier League and he is dropped sa league is far much more better than our league look at whr kaizer chiefs is ..btw tell this coach to call europe based players for the world cup qualifier this local players arent upto standard we need Emmanuel banda Emmanuel chiluffya Frankie musonda shemmy mayembe
We don’t have strikers in the Zambian team.
We needed Chabula in the team.
Shonga,kabaso and Chama are wrong choices
Shonga,kabaso ,Chama and Shamujopa are wrong choices the for me is worrisome.
The defense for me is unreliable
Unless I am mistaken, Mukeya did not play in last years U20 COSAFA because NAPSA withdrew him at the last minute and that cost us the cup.
Micho
Wasting our tax money
Our tax money is being wasted