The Zambia U20 national soccer team will regroup on Sunday ahead of a trip to South Korea where they will play against Mexico, Saudi Arabia and the host nation in a four nations invitation tournament.
Coach Beston Chambeshi has named 21 players for the Korea trip that sees foreign based players Conlyde Luchanga (Hapoel Ra’anana, Patson Daka (FC Liefering), Mumba Mwape (Getafe) and Fashion Sakala (Spartak Moscow) miss out as they return to their clubs.
This however has provided an opportunity for the coach to have a final look at some players who could re-enforce the squad after the Africa Cup as he has brought back four of the players he dropped before the tournament: Stephen Chulu (Kabwe Warriors), Happy Nsofwa (Mufulira Police), Musonda Siame (Kafue Celtic) and Joseph Phiri (Red Arrows).
There will be little rest for the African Champions as they have to play at least three games in 10 days after rigorous Africa Cup tournament but they will get a head start to acclimatise and have a feel of the World Cup pitches a month before the tournament kicks off.
The tournament will cover the period March 21-31.
Zambia the U20 Africa Cup of Nations champions will open the FIFA World Cup tournament with a match against two-time champions Portugal on May 21 before facing Iran three days later. The concluding fixture will be against Costa Rica on May 27.
FULL SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Mangani Banda (Zanaco), Samson Banda (Zesco United), James Phiri (Circuit City)
Defenders: Moses Nyondo (Nkana), Prosper Chilufya (Kafue Celtic), Benson Chali (Forest Rangers), Solomon Sakala (Kabwe Warriors), Shemmy Mayembe (Zesco United), Edward Tembo (Gomes FC)
Midfielders: Sydney Phiri (Gomes FC), Crispin Sakulanda (Mufulira Wanderers), Harrison Musonda (Nkana), Enock Mwepu (Napsa Stars), Kenneth Kalunga (IFS, Denmark), Stephen Chulu (Kabwe Warriors), Happy Nsofwa (Mufulira Police),
Strikers: Emmanuel Banda (Esmoriz, Portugal), Edward Chilufya (Mpande Youth), Joseph Phiri (Red Arrows), Musonda Siame (Kafue Celtic)
We need goals
Its good that our lads are playing these friendly matches but I think they need to rest because if they play so many games they will be fatigue as a result it will work against our advantages and they may be injuries too but any way all the best as you play these friend matches my advise to our coach during these friendly matches give chance to the players that did not play during the Afcon
I am beginning to think that we have now turned a full circle.
1988, Zambia performed wonders at the Seoul Olympics. To qualify to Seoul the squad had young, ambitious, fearless, adventurous and upcoming stars. Kalusha Bwalya, Charles Musonda, Johnson Bwalya, Michael Chabala, Efford Chabala, and many more young and old Guns(including that Nchanga Rangers defender I have forgotten). In its path lay Cameroun 4-1 at Independence, and 1-1 in Yaoundé. Then Ghana, 2-0 in Lusaka and 0-1 in Accra.
We became the first African Team to reach the quarter finals of an Olympic competition. Since then others have gone and bettered this achievement, and set higher levels. We then tragically lost that squad which everybody thinks would have achieved the impossible for Zambia, but fate had its own way.
Then the re-building from the ashes started in earnest.
At the 1994 AFCON, we lost in the final. But in 2012, a team composed of many stars who had started as U20, U23, brought us the first AFCON.
Now (2017), we have a star studded U20 team, comprising of some who just graduated from the U17. We already have the U20 COSAFA, the U20 AFCON, as we head to SEOUL once again!!!!One is compelled to ask, “how much more is in stock with this gallant team of Kabuddohs?”
This team like the 1988 team is young, ambitious, fearless, adventurous and everybody is an upcoming star. To add salt to injury they are getting the right exposure at the right time. With the right guidance, surely this team can only go higher and higher to soar only where our noble ‘eagles dare.’
They were the last cog in completing Zambia’s footballing circle and they consequently set a very serious challenge to any team in Zambia, any. This challenge simply being:
You have to see your race to the end to be glorified.
As a country, we have surely come the full circle that the 1993 Air tragedy abruptly disrupted. To God be the Glory.
nice article kasama boy
If many of us would think and write at half your capacity this forum would be top notch! Again, another well thought piece!
wonderful. kasama boy, tears dropping
Nice one though the 4-1 and 1-1 draw vs Cameroon was a world cup qualifier
Ngosa sunzu is missing from that list
Nicely articulated well thought comment kasama boy. Not every day ati kalu na kamanga. I find it childish
The 2012 ream did not have stars naimwe. ….can u compare Chris Katongo to Great Kalu? Or kalaba to Charles Musonda? ??….2012 won because of Renard
only 2 tribes play fut in zambia? can we hav diversity please
nowander paradox likes jumping on you, very foolish comment i must. say
One Zambia one Nation, United we stand while divided we fall
Much as we won the cup let’s be modest and honest Senegal was a better organised team. I love my beloved Zambia and a win is a win and so proud but we need a good midfield player, someone that can dictate play and command the midfield. We have the talent but needs naturing. We can’t be playing long balls in Korea like we did vs Senegal. It was a no brainer. The Senegal boys are tall, very tall and hence we lost the aerial battles 30/70 % easily. We need at least good midfield players. One attacking and one defensive. We need to groom in these departments asap. But all in all well done to the lads, the made us proud.
It,s good to have friendly games
The under20 will mostly favour teams that will prepare tactically. Zambia has the talent but talent alone can not take you anywhere
I will give a detailed analysis on the teams in Zambia s group and what I believe we should. Others are free to do the same
Should
all the best Chipolopolo
Justice L Kafusha, that will be nice, and yes if we have something to add we will do just that.
The thing about most of us soccer fans is that if a coach doesn’t use the players you prefer, or a system you want, then that coach as far as you are concerned is “useless”, and the player used in the place of your preferred players will all be ‘ama pulanga’.
WWe should realise that not all of us can be coaches and that each coach has his own style and system of play. What matters at the end of the day is the result.
That is why sometimes I feel prize givers are always biased against defenders. A striker who scores more goals will most probably be awarded, whereas a defender who stops most strikers will not.
tye,tye tye iwe
tye,tye tye iwe
@ Kasama boy nice contribution on the thread.
@ MuZedian are you trying to insinuate we had a weak midfield? we scored the most goals and conceded the least goals in the tournament, does this result in itself not speak volumes of the effectiveness of our midfield?
Lets hope fatigue does not creep in with these boys, they have been playing consistently for a while now. First it was Cosafa then a couple of friendlies then they were off to Spain and played a couple of games there as well then the Afcon and now just a week later off to Korea. We need to guard against too much football as well.
Got your point big Steve but for a longtime we have been crying for friendlies and besides that and as someone correctly put it there are players that did not feature at Afcon20, so why not give them a chance now. This tournament is not about winning but building on by correcting the mistakes that were observed
Cheers
Definitely the other boys deserve a chance to showcase their talents @ the pre-world cup competition.
Papa, Mwepu, Musonda, Chilufya & Fashion must not be our obvious to go to boys. The eyes of the world are without a doubt on those guys. Studying their style of play; their positioning and their possible weaknesses.
Alternative players must be prepared to step up and show what they are made of. The coach + technical bench must psychic these boys. Zambia needs to go through to the top four (4). Yes semi finals & we can!
Chipolopolo iyê