Georgia bound Sioma domiciled under-16 winger Abraham Mumbi says selection to the junior national teams is open as long as one works hard.
And Chinsali product Gift Mumba says selection to the under-16 national team is a dream come true for him.
The duo is part of the 20-member under-16 national team that heads to Georgia next week for the UEFA engineered under-16 Four-Nation Invitational tournament.
The UEFA Under-16 International Development Tournament will run from May 10-17 in Rustavi, Georgia. Hosts Georgia, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, and Zambia will be participants.
Selection for the lads was extended to all the 10 provinces in a process that involved technical experts indigenous to the provinces teaming up with the FAZ technical directorate trainers.
In an interview with the FAZ media at Woodlands Stadium this morning, Mumbi said he was happy to have made the cut from the selection that commenced from Western Province.
“In Western Province competition was very tough but I worked very hard. I benefited from being speedy and quick, so the coaches got interested. The experience so far has been good because I found very talented players and had to step up,” said the Nangweshi Pirates FC winger.
He said that although competition was tough, there was no substitute for hard work.
“It is tough here, whoever wants to make it here should work hard, I am not perfect and there are more talented players out there, but I work hard,” Mumbi said.
On their Georgia mission, the confident lad said, “We are going to win when we get there because we are updated with coach’s plan.”
Mumbi said the selection process had given everyone a fair chance to compete as boys from all corners of Zambia had been considered.
“Zambia is for anyone; all one needs is to work hard and be calm. To be a footballer you have to overcome a lot of challenges,” he said.
And Mumba who is on the books of Muchinga Blue Bullets in Chinsali said his selection to the national team was a dream come true.
“It was like a dream; from childhood I had a dream of playing for Zambia. Everything is okay and the guys are all good. Competition was tough but I also had to raise my game to be selected,” he said.
The budding talent is also proud at the prospect of his debut assignment outside the country.
“I am happy to be able to fly and go to Europe because of football and one day I want to play for the main national team,” he said.
Mumba urges his peers to embrace a personal training regime that could keep them switched on throughout.
“Talent is nothing without hard work. Do not just wait for coaches in training, there is extra time atter training and you have to utilize it,” he said.
FAZ has a strong grassroots program that saw the under-15 national team participate at the Vlatko Markovic invitational Tournament in Croatia in 2020.
(By FAZ Media )
Where is Sabobo