U23 technical bench psyching players on the importance of U23 AFCON tournament

Zambia U23 national team head coach Beston Chambeshi says the technical bench is working hard on psyching the players to make sure they know the importance of the U23 AFCON.

Chambeshi was also quick to point to the improvement made by his defense during their stay in camp. The defense has always been a source of concern, especially that most of them are not starters at their clubs and have been allowing a lot of goals since their time at U20.

Chambeshi is however confident in his defense looking at their showing in the friendly matches the played so far.

“We are still going through our normal preparations. The local players we have in the camp are putting in their best and we are doing everything to Psych them so that they know the importance of this tournament, ” he said.

“Going with the few friendly games we played (against Green Buffaloes and Janza Academy) they (the defenders) have done very well. Today we separated the defenders and the strikers and am happy with the progress, We are going to a tournament and we need to be keeping clean sheets. The strike force, on the other hand, has been scoring.”

Chambeshi could not, however, comment on the status of his Austrian based duo of striker Patson Daka and midfield ace Enock Mwepu. The news making rounds is that the duo will not be part of the ‘Bola na Lesa’ Boys in Egypt due to club engagements because the tournament is not the FIFA calendar.

“On the Foreign Players, We wait for the Final Report from the Association on foreign players, but I am happy with the local players who have Turned out and sticking to the Technical Bench Plan for the tournament.”

The FIFA international window in November covers the period 11-19 while the tournament will be played between 8–22 November 2019.

The young Copper Bullets will open their campaign on November 9 against South Africa before tackling Nigeria two days later with Ivory Coast being the final group match on November 15.

The top two teams in the group qualify for the semi-finals with the top three teams at the tournament qualifying to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Zambia last appeared at the Olympics in 1988.