By GODFREY DUBE –
ZAMBIA women under-17 coach Kangwa Kaluba says the team that will travel to Gaborone for the return leg of the 2018 World Cup qualifier will be stronger than the one that beat Botswana 5-2 at the weekend.
Kaluba said the reasons his side will be stronger is because in the weekend game at Nkoloma stadium, some of his trusted players didnot feature because of documentations challenges before the game.
The passports for the players that missed the first game were now ready and were eligible for the away game.
He said the technical bench has also brought in some new player to strengthen the team.
Additionally, Kaluba said the technical bench was working on sealing the loopholes noticed in the first leg fixture at the weekend.
“We are working extremely hard on making sure we beat Botswana even in their backyard. We shall attack them despite the lead we are carrying. The girls were motivated after the win and we shall not inhibit them,” Kaluba said.
One of the areas the coach will have to look at is the mental strength of his charges who after leading 4-0 made the game tense by allowing two goal in quick succession before Christabel Phiri confirmed the win with a late goal.
He said the bench had identified some causes for those two goals and was working on preventing a recurrence.
“Pressure will always be there in football, whether at home oraway, we noted Botswana’s strengths and weaknesses and we are putting up a game plan. We have told the girls to put the win behindand focus on progressing to the next round,” hesaid.
And striker Christabel Phiri said the team had what it takes to beatBotswana in the reverse fixture to progress to the next stage of thequalifiers.
Phiri said it was important for the team to forget thevictory and focus on the reverse fixture as it would determine theirfate.
“I am happy to be part of the team, I joined camp late but the coachesbelieved in me and gave me an opportunity to prove myself. We have to gothere and apply ourselves to get a positive result,” she said.
Phiri scored four goals against Botswana with captain Lydia Mubangascoring the other in the big win.