ZAMBIA LOSE CAF SLOTS

…clubs to fight for top two finish to compete at continental level

ZAMBIAwill only field two teams in the 2022-2023 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederations Cup season after losing two slots.

According to CAF, Zambia is not among the 12 coun tries eligible to field four teams comprising two in the CAF Champions League and two in the Confedera tion Cup. The news has sad dened FAZ General Secre tary Adrian Kashala who has challenged Zambian clubs to step up their performanc es in CAF competitions.

In a statement issued by FAZ Communications Manager Sydney Mungala,

Kashala said the develop ment is a wake-up call for Zambian clubs to reclaim their status on the conti nent. “We wish to inform our football family of the statemnt from CAF that the inter-club competitions representation has been revised after a four-year cy cle. Zambia will have two clubs in CAF competitions for the 2023 season. “The development is regrettable but also a wake-up call to our clubs to work extra hard to reclaim their respectable status on the continent,” Kashala said. “We just have to pull our socks up and en sure that our representatives do better when they win the right to fly our national flag on the continent.”

Zambian champions Red Arrows will represent the country in the Champions League while Ndola giants Zesco United will be the flag carriers in the CAF Confed eration Cup.

The 12 countries that will field four teams are: Algeria, Angola, Congo DR, Egypt, Guinea, Libya, Morocco, Ni geria, South Africa, Sudan,

Tanzania, and Tunisia.

Meanwhile, CAF has set September 9-11 for the pre liminary round matches of the 2022 season while re turn legs will be played on September 16-18.

The second round of matches will run from Octo ber 7-9 for the first legs with return fixtures set for Octo ber 14-16.