AFCON 2023:
FAZ TO GIVE CHIPOLOPOLO PROPER PREPS
THE FOOTBALL Association of Zambia (FAZ) says it will strive to give the national soccer team good preparations to be among the top two teams from Group H to qualify for the 2023 AFCON.
FAZ President Andrew Kamanga said with good preparations the Chipolopolo will be among the top two qualifiers from Group H consisting of hosts Ivory Coast, Comoros, and Lesotho.
Kamanga said the focus is just to win its games and be among the elite of the African game and Ivory Coast who automatically qualified as the host of the next continental championship.
He urged Zambians to support the Chipolopolo in its quest to earn qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Kamanga is confident that the Chipolopolo players are eager to replicate their form at club level for the national team to succeed and qualify for the AFCON.
"Given the competitiveness of most of our players in the foreign leagues they are playing in, we have no doubt that they will be eager to replicate the same form for their motherland when qualifiers start," Kamanga said.
On the Under-17 women’s team travelling to Cameroon for the World Cup qualifiers, Kamanga said; "Our thoughts are with the team that travelled to Cameroon for the return leg of the India 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier."
"The team trails 2-0 from the home fixture but we have no doubt that they will be motivated enough to overcome the first leg result," he said.
Meanwhile, Kamanga says the 2022 season has lived up to football expectations with Red Arrows having won the league with a game to spare.
He said the season has provided the ultimate answer to football resilience in the face of Covid-19 and other possible hurdles. Kamanga noted that on the pitch, the league produced some memorable performances from both the top and bottom teams.
"We have successfully navigated our way through the Covid-19 challenges. Away from the Covid-19 pandemic, everything about the 2022 season has been an embodiment of a successful football season,” Kamanga said.
"Just yesterday (Sunday) we joined the football family at Nkoloma Stadium as we have done in different stadia throughout this season, to enjoy a typical Zambian football match day atmosphere.
The Week 33 match involving Red Arrows and Chambishi Football Club at Nkoloma Stadium provided the ultimate football spectacle with one team fighting to win the championship while another was battling to survive relegation. Ultimately the 4-1 win confirmed Red Arrows as champions. Prior to kick-off, that status was far from guaranteed which exemplified the league’s competitive status."