Chipolopolo Boys assistant coach Perry Mutapa is set to ring changes in the team this evening as the Chipolopolo Boys take on Angola in their second international friendly match of the November FIFA International window.
From the team that started in the 3-1 loss to Bafana Bafana of South Africa Mutapa says only about three players will remain in the starting lineup.
Mutapa is in charge of the team while head coach Moses Sichone recovers from a suspected case of food poisoning at St George Private Hospital in Port Elizabeth.
Mutapa feels the game against the Palancas Negras will be a good part of his sides preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations.
“Thank you very much and I would like to say first of all thanks for inviting us for this friendly match which is very important and Parabéns! (Congratulations ) for your 50th independence anniversary and we really appreciate being here to celebrate with you guys our neighbors and we are ready for this game,” he said.
“For us it’s good preparation for the AFCON. It’s a new technical team and of course there are some new players so we would like to see a lot of combinations. We played a game on Saturday against South Africa, which we lost. But we are here again for another mission. We want everyone to have a feel. So from the team we played on Saturday, maybe two or three will remain in the starting lineup. And we want to do well at the Africa Cup. So this is good preparation for us.”
The match will take place at the November 11 Stadium and Mutapa is happy with the pitch and the atmosphere it provides.
“Fantastic pitch. I think the first thing when we went there, I think we talked with my technical staff. We were very happy with the pitch and it gives you that atmosphere because I think the stands are nearer to the actual pitch where the guys perform, so excellent. For me it’s a wonderful pitch, wonderful stadium to play in,” he said.
The Green Eagles gaffer admitted that Angola a superior in both skill and physicality hence his side will have to be ‘on top tactically’ to get a positive result.
“Of course, Angola, they have got skilled players, but physically, Angolans, I think, are superior. So we have a game plan, and for us, the most important thing is to use our strength, because in terms of skill and physical stature, Angola, we can say they are better than us. So in this game, I think, tactically, we must be on top and make sure we are at our best and try to control the tempo of the game. For us, possession matters, and in transition, we must be quick to make sure we utilise the chances we are going to create,” he said.
Zambia plays Angola today (Tuesday) at the November 11 Stadium at 17h00 local time (18h00 Zambian time) with the match live on ZNBC TV3.
