Spain-based Zambia Women national team striker Rachel Nachula has stressed the importance of having a long camp for the team as they edge closer to the Olympics.
Nachula was also quick to advise her coach to keep the majority of the players who qualified the team to the Olympics as they know each other well.
When asked about the loss to South Africa on Saturday, Nachula felt the team played well but made some costly errors hence needed to improve all-around and work hard to be ready in time for the Olympics.
“The game was okay, the team was good, we played well as a team, We just made some errors. I think we need to work hard as strikers and also the defense and the goalkeepers,” she said.
“I think the coach needs all the players who helped us qualify for the Olympics because we know each other well. It’s difficult to play with the new players as some of them are new.”
“I think as a team, it goes back to the administration on their planning for us, We need to stay in camp for a long time so that we can know each other well like we did when we played Cameroon. I heard about something like a camp in Europe or Japan but am sure they will look into it so that our team can perform well.
“The Olympics is a big stage, bigger than the World Cup, so it’s a dream of everyone. When we go there we are going to work hard to put our flag on the map,” she added.
Zambia next faces the Harambee Starlets in another international friendly match scheduled for Saturday, 24th April. Coach Bruce Mwape is using the friendly matches as part of preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
She’s right! a longer camp is required and also build the team that qualified for the Olympics. Right our women’s team needs to build their mental, fitness and physical strengths respectively. Mental strength important in my opinion…
The call by Nachula is timely…a longer camp is vital and most important the coach needs to call up all the players that qualified the team to olympics…the likes of kundanji,hazel Nali and others are needed to be part of the squad!!