By GODFREY DUBE –
SHEPOOPOLO captain Kabange Mupopo has finally joined the rest the team in camp ahead of the 2016 Africa Women Championship (AWC) qualifier against Namibia next month.
Mupopo said she was under an athletics programme which held her back but that she was now available for football training at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) where the team is camped.
“I am balancing the two and hoping to gain more, but so far the training’s are cool and I am catching up well with both. I will be travelling out next month for athletics tournaments after which I will be back and available to play for the Shepolopolo,” she said.
Coach Albert Kachinga said having Mupopo back in the team was an added advantage to the team. Kachinga said Mupopo would be of importance to the team because of her experience and the role she plays in the team as a captain.
He said he was aware that the forward would leave next month for an athletics programme but would still come back to lead the team.
Kachinga said the team was slowly getting into shape after spending three weeks with them in training from two different camps with the first in Lusaka and the second in Ndola.
On words from the Namibian coach that they would repeat the 2-0 beating of Zambia, Kachinga said that game was water under the bridge because more than a year had passed since two teams last met.
“Of course no coach wants to lose but I think that’s water under the bridge and the game was played a year or two years ago, so it will be a totally different game this time around,’’ he said.
Kachinga said his team should be focused and ensure it makes the next round of the qualifiers.