THE Zambia Under-17 national soccer team has left for Sudan, with coach Mumamba Numba declaring the team ready for the return fixture of the second round of the Africa Cup qualifiers.
Numba has carried a team of 20 players and has promised that the team will do well in Sudan.
“We are ready. We have worked on the lapses observed in the first fixture. We have no other option but to beat Sudan and go to the next round,” said Numba.
He retained almost the entire team that battled to a goalless draw with Sudan in the first leg a fortnight ago in Lusaka
The two teams played to a goalless draw in the first fixture played a fortnight ago.
A win for the junior Chipolopolo will see them progress to the final round of qualifiers for the final tournament that will be played in Madagascar next year.
Are we certain there are no over age players in this squad just as we did in the cosafa? We don’t need a ban here, God forbid. Once bitten twice shy
MIDFIELDERS Emmanuel Banda and Kenneth Kalunga have been excused from the under-20 national team preparing for the 2017 Africa Youth Championship that Zambia will host.
Team manager Daniel Jere said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that Banda and Kalunga are in Europe attending trials.
Banda is attending trials at second division Esmoriz FC in Portugal while Kalunga is at Kjellerup IF FC in Denmark
GORDON Igesund’s manager Mike Makaab says the new Chipolopolo coach is agreeable to the conditions offered by the Football Association of Zambia but is awaiting the final details of his contract.
FAZ have settled for Igesund, a South African, to take over the vacant Chipolopolo job after interviews were conducted earlier this month.
In an interview from South Africa, Makaab said Igesund was waiting for FAZ on the way forward with the contract.
“We are still in talks. We seem to be agreeable to the conditions but it is now up to FAZ to give us the go-ahead, to give us the final details of the contract,” Makaab said.
When contacted, FAZ general secretary Ponga Liwewe said they were still consulting the government on the recruitment of the coach.
“We are still consulting the government on the Chipolopolo coach. Now that elections are over, we should make progress,” said Liwewe.
FAZ had been seeking to recruit a coach to lead Chipolopolo in the 2018 Russia World Cup qualifying campaign.
Zambia is in Group B of the qualifiers alongside seasoned campaigners Cameroon, Nigeria, and Algeria.
The Chipolopolo kicks off its campaign with a home tie against Nigeria on October 3 before closing the year away to Cameroon on November 7.
I dont think we can progress to the next round after drawing at home.