Zesco United have announced their 26 -man squad for the 2016 Caf Champions league.
The list has six foreign players including three Kenyans Jesse Were, Anthony Akum and David Odhiambo. Others are Nigerian Ayo Oluwafemi, Ivorian Ben Adama Banh as well as Idriss Mbombo of Congo DR.
Oluwafemi and Odhiambo joined the club in the 2015 season while Adama, Were, Mbombo and Akum are all new recruits.
Ivorian defender Ben Adama Banh, 30, joins the club from Guinean side AS Kaloum and has the distinction of having played against Zesco United with two different teams in the Caf Champions League, first with Ivorian side Africa Sport in 2009 and AS Kaloum in 2015.
Kenyan defensive midfielder Anthony Akum has joined from Al Khartoum on a two year contract as has fellow country man Jesse Were who top scored for Tusker in the Kenyan Premier League with 22 goals.
Congolese forward Idriss Mbombo is not new on the Zambian football scene having played for Kabwe Warriors in 2015 where he scored 23 goals in the Faz Division One South league.
Other new players listed include Mwila Phiri, signed on a one year loan deal from Green Eagles while goalkeeper Samson Banda has been promoted from the youth team. Kasashi Lupiya and Shemmy Mayembe have been recalled from their loan spells with Forest Rangers.
The 2015 MTN FAZ Super League champions have also announced that Jackson Mwanza will not be joining Thailand side UBON UMT United because the club had failed to secure the player’s visa and work permit.
Another notable returnee is utility player Kondwani Mtonga who had a short loan spell/ with North East United of India.
Zesco United have been paired against South Sudan opposition in the preliminary round of the 2016 Caf Champions League.
They will host the first leg during the weekend of 14th to 16th February before travelling to Juba for the second leg during the weekend of 26th to 28th February, 2016.
Zesco United reached the first round of the 2015 Caf Champions League where they were eliminated by AS Kaloum of Guinea.
The squad:
Goalkeepers: Jacob Banda, Brown Nyirenda, Lameck Nyangu, Samson Banda
Defenders: Shemmy Mayembe, Daut Musekwa, Ayo Oluwafemi, Lottie Bwalya, David Owino Odhiambo, Ben Adama Banh, Bernard Mapili, Emmanuel Mayuka, Kondwani Mtonga
Midfielders: Misheck Chaila, Anthony Akumu Agay, Kasashi Lupiya, John Chingandu, Maybin Mwaba, Mwape Mwelwa, Matthews Muzi Nkowane, Clatous Chama Chota, Mwila Phiri
Strikers: Idris Ilunga Mbombo, Lazarous Kambole, Jackson Mwanza, Jesse Jackson Were
[FAZ]
strong squad let us nd wait, o zesco hv also releazed cliford nd jonas reason ………….
I wish this was Zambian team.
clifford mulenga & jonas sakuwaha no where near.advise?
Clifford might trek back to RSA.
no justine zulu nd clifod mulenga why
Clifford n Jonas ll b playin from curious nyt club in ndola. These boys lack discipline.
i hear sakuwaha is headed “back to parent club tp mazembe”…clifford has been “released “…no idea about zulu..
Were is a good signing..we should have also brought in kenyas’ Michael Olunga
Justin Zulu is saving a FIFA ban for refusing to pay his agent…
Good List Then Update Us About Technical Bench
its time, jonas shuld try zanaco they r looking for a big striker. While cliford has alot to do, going bac to sa clubs wth his current form kaya
Clifford Is Too Fat He Cant Play Football,since He Has A Degree Let Him Start Lookg For Employment
Clifford Is Too Fat He Cant Play Football,since He Has A Degree Let Him Start Lookg For Employment In Copperbelt
i wish my team zesco well and all the way to the final in the coming champions league, at least it is a well balanced team! Zega mambo for sure.
This is a big squad. I dnt expect them to postponed League fixtures once thy get involved in caf matches or players get called to th national team.
Degree without experience Kaya pa Zambia he has gone back to SA. Too bad for him!
strong squad we will support you.
BA ZAMFOOT EMMANUEL MAYUKA AT ZESCO?
EMMANUEL MAYUKA PLAYING AS A DEFENDER AT ZESCO YABA!!
Abram ts another emmanuel mayuka. Nt th 1 whoz in france.
Some bloggers. Do you really follow your soccer? ZamFoot have rightly said it. We have seen Emmanuel Mayuka the defender before.
i evem remember when he (mayuka)scored an own goal in a league match…people just don’t follow the local league
Its a good team zesco should try to reach the group stage.we are tired of first round exit.the transfer of winstone kalengo to a congo brazavilla is the worst transfer of the year.how can you allow the best player in zambia to joining that team that will not add value to our player.this is what I call disgrace to zambian football
Zesco united did not advise kalengo well he should have gone in june july transfer window not now.he should have participated in chan tornament with the national team and in CAF champions league with zesco united better clubs with good offers could have come for him not that club it will not add value to his career.do you know that alex ngonga is warming the bench in Gabon?when did you last hear him playing or scoring for his club?kalengo shouid be careful with this move.
These fools did not advise him well they main interest was money that’s so.
Wait n c,zambian clubs don’t perform when it comes 2 club champions league competitions!
kalengo
Some soccer fans awe sure ati Emma mayuka in Zambia you people it is not just a matter of following local soccer and you call yourself die hard fan and condemning national selectors when they selector bench warmers and yet you are the same. Stupid Zesco officials let granpa kalegoal down just for greediness they should have just increased his salary .
good lucky Zesco united,that squad you have made I with you good journey and good peformence in caf,just do a good financing to your players ,you will see that,you’ll receive good result.Good lucky…
Correction Zamfoot. ….Adama is a Ghanaian, not ivory coast if am right.
ITS A GUD TEAM WITH SERIOUS PREPERATIONS WE WIL REACH DE GROUP STAGE. BA ZESCO WE ALSO NEED STRIKERS FROM UGANDA, LIKE FAROUK MIYA & ROBERT SSENTONGO. WISHING U ALL DE BEST ZEGA!!!! WAKATAKO WAPYA!!!!!!
BA ZESCO BRING THESE UGANDANS STRIKERS FAROUK MIYA & ROBERT SSENTONGO, TO SHARPEN UP YO STRIKING FORCE.
WEL DON GUYZ KIP IT UP ZESCO UTD