UNDER-23 DATE EGYPT
...as FAZ promise to prepare the team adequately
FOOTBALL Association of Zambia (FAZ) President Andrew Kamanga says the association will give the under-23 a more comprehensive preparatory program for the next round with some friendly matches that will help them warm up.
Zambia will face Egypt in the final round of the TotalEnergies Morocco U23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers slated for March 2023.
Osward Mutapa’s side beat Sierra Leone 2-1 over two legs to setup a third-round qualifier date with Egypt who edged Eswatini 1-0 in Alexandria in the second leg match following a goalless first leg played at Somhlolo National Stadium in Lobamba.
Zambia will need to beat Egypt to be part of the seven teams that will join hosts Morocco at the U23 AFCON which serves as a qualifier for 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
"The bigger picture is to qualify to the Africa Cup of Nations and contest for a place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games," Kamanga said.
"The only way to harness and actualize this dream is to prepare better for the next round that comes in March next year. We are happy that most of the players will be fully engaged with league action while a few from the Africa Cup of Nations bound under-20 will be a great addition. It was not easy doing it with an all-local squad since some of the foreign based players summoned could not be released as the match fell outside the FIFA window," he said.
After beating Sierra Leone with an all local squad Kamanga said the association will do its best to ensure the availability of the foreign based players for the final round against Egypt.
Meanwhile Kamanga has hailed Green Buffaloes Women's team for starting the Women’s CAF Champions League on a positive note.
"We are happy with the Green Buffaloes Women’s Team for starting strong. We urge the public to rally behind Green Buffaloes as they are flying our national flag," Kamanga said.
"We are also happy that a host of our national team players are getting some action at a high level. With the Copper Queens set to play Columbia next month in an international friendly in Cali it is a definitely busy season for the women’s game," he added.
Kamanga said FAZ has laid out a robust preparatory program for the Copper Queens for the FIFA World Cup.
He confirmed that a number of World Cup bound teams are courting the Copper Queens for friendlies ahead of the World Cup to take place next year in Australia and New Zealand.