Zambia U23 coach Fighton Simukonda has named his final team that will play Ivory Coast in the Senegal U23 CAF Championship qualifier tomorrow at Nkoloma stadium.
Simukonda only managed to get two out of the five foreign based players he had requested for after Noble Rumsey who is set to join Power Dynamos, Lubambo Musonda and Emmanuel Mbola failed to make the trip to Lusaka for the game.
Simukonda only had to drop four players from the 23 that reported to camp and the axe fell on Larry Bwalya, John Chingandu, Lawrence Mulenga and suspended Boyd Mkandawire. He further beefed up the defense with Mweene Mumbi.
Charles Zulu who was not part of the team that traveled to Abidjan has bounced back in the team.
The West Africans arrived in the country yesterday at 12:30hrs bubbling with confidence that they will win the match.
Zambia play Ivory Coast at 15:00hrs in a must win game for them to have a chance to play at the Rio Olympics.
The tickets for the match are going at K30 for the open wing with the VIP tickets pegged at K250.
Squad to play Ivory Coast
Goalkeepers: Toaster Nsabata (Zanaco), Kenny Mumba (Red Arrows)
Defenders: Benedict Chepeshi (Red Arrows), Kayawe Kapota (Nkana), Benson Sakala (Power Dynamos), Benard Mapili (Zesco United), Solomon Sakala (Kabwe Warriors), Mweene Mumbi
Midfielders: Jackson Chirwa (Green Buffaloes), Shadreck Malambo (Red Arrows), Kelvin Mubanaga (Power Dynamos), Mukuka Mulenga (Bloemfontein Celtic), Bruce Musakanya (Red Arrows), Salulani Phiri (Zanaco), Charles Zulu (Zanaco), Jacob Ngulube (Mufulira Wanderers)
Strikers: Moses Phiri (Zanaco), Patson Daka (Power Dynamos), Friday Samu (Green Buffaloes), Ronald Kampamba (Wadi Degla)
We expect nothing less than a convincing win from these boys!
The Return of Kay Hummer. who calls a spade a spade and not a big spoon
Please guys, you take the game serious and be very determined when playing…………..good luck!
Where’s Rumsey? Others reported that he was in camp?
who is our left back here?
This is where our FAZ have lost it.This is one game which will make or break our National team.A win will set tone for the next games as the players in U23 will feel ready for the main NATIONAL TEAM after eliminating the Africa cup defending champions.The game deserved to be played at either Levy or National Heroes stadium.GOD FORBID SHOULD a stampede arise as a result of the small capacity of the stadium the blood will be on your head.Zambians are now watching these games massively.
I think I saw Ramsey in training on a picture in postnewspaper……Iam sure he has been dropped
Eric mwanza said that the match will be at nkholoma for tactical reasons. at nkholoma the fans r near the pitch and the rough playing surface at nkholoma will make it hard for the ivorians to play
Paradox I think you are right. I also hope they gave them to train at National Heroes then they play at a bumpy pitch! Heheeee!
Gud one!
Welcome back bwana Kay Hummer, personally I missed you! I will be there as early as 15:59, though I don’t have a ticket with lack of publicity by FAZ . I will buy from shoprite compticket or at the stadium, here I come !!! Chipolopolo iyeeee……Chipolopolo iyeeeee
what do u mean. is 15:59 early for a football match
Yaba ! I meant to write 13:59 hrs Lolest! @Paradox thanks for the question it has exposed me.
the Nigerians were happy that they played at heroes stadia. this was after training ku nkholoma
guys, die a little for mother zambia u did a recommendable job in abjdian when you were down with ten men,GO ZAMBIA GO!
Where is Spenser sautu? He deserves to be in the team
Boy or boy lads make as proud and for your own good be serious and sort out Drogbas kids and qualify to Sengal.It will offer you a platform to market yourselves to European scouts.
Ivory coast stands a good chance of qualifying with a scoring draw. The match will end 1-1. West african pitches are also bumpy, so there is no advantage here for Zambia.
Mumbi my friend. at first i thot it was stumpy who wrote the comment but then saw it was you. lets be positive and hope for the best
zamfoot we need the ivorian team squad e.g players names & the clubs 4 us 2 analys
When We Want 2 Analys The Game We Dont Concetrate On One Team, We Want The Ivorian Team Squad, & Their Respective Clubs.
we also need the name of ivorian team coach & what he said.
As it is now, the Ivorians are still at advantage, playing 0-0 away in Abidjan is not a plus for zambia.
This second leg can go either way since 1st leg is a goalless draw. Zambia has a lot of work to do to make it to the next round or a else another Nigera Deja vu may happen again in zambia.
Mumbi mweene was picked for marketing purpose . He can not play ahead of billy mutale. The technical wil regret for not picking players on merit..
Zambia Vs Ivory Coast (My views/opinion)
The game between Zambia under 23 and the Ivory Coast will be a tricky one. The chances of any of the 2 qualifying are in my view 50/50. My opinion is based on the last game against Nigeria where we drew 0-0 away and were beaten 2-1 at home. Ivory Coast will come with the same system of play like Nigeria did. Their plan is known for anyone with common sense. The young elephants are not coming to Zambia to play an open all flat out attacking game, NO, they will pack the bus and let Zambia do the attack. I read the other day in one of the Zambian tabloids that coach Simukonda will instruct the boys to go the pitch and launch an all flat out attack. Coach Simukonda that plan is suicide. You can not attack flat out and at the same time keep the away team from scoring
All we need is to win within 90 minutes by whatever margin, that the aim in todays game. My advise is that we should defend well and utilize the chances that will come our way. Dead ball, corner kicks must be taken full advantage of. We should at all costs avoid forcing things trying to get a goal, instead use our bongo bongo during the course of this game. Players should at all costs avoid playing to the public gallery as this game is not about which player was good at joggling and dazzling the opponents but about defending with sense while searching for goals
Therefore our players should forget about playing to the crowd but concentrate on team work and what is going on the pitch. And if we score a goal let us not over celebrate like the game is over and we have won it. Wait for those wild celebrations until the sound of the final whistle. It is not a secrete that some teams over celebrate when they score a goal but when at the end they loose, they really look foolish. Sorry but it is the truth
Mark my words should rush things and play to entertain / impress the fans / scouts then we will have issues and end as either a goal draw game or even loose. I repeat the Western Africans will leave the initiative to us, but we should not take with a kiss, we have to be very, very careful not to fall into their trap
To the players my advice to the players is that do not feel to be under pressure just because of the experience you had in the game against Nigeria as that is past, forget it. This is another game so go on the pitch with a fresh mind and focus on the task at hand, this way you will carry the day
And coach don’t just sit pa bench go mu ka box and issue instructions to the players
I know football is not easy for the one playing and one who is watching, a player on the pitch has to make a decision within seconds, those watching would say if I were the player I would have done this and that. Good for me that I played football before
I wish you the best with the song “Kanselele”, and my own song “Kankaseshe aka mupila”
NB: Is the game being shown online and what time is the kickoff? 15:00 hours I suppose. Thanks
Note that my posting above was not edited