By SANDRA MWILA and GWEN CHIPASULA  –

ENTERTAINING midfielder Larry Bwalya has joined the Zambia Under-20 soccer team currently in camp preparing for the Senegal 2015 Africa Youth Championship (AYC) that kicks off on next month.
The Power Dynamos midfielder missed the first part of training as he was away with his club in Sudan where the Kitwe side took on Al Khartoum in the CAF 2015 Confederation Cup preliminary round first leg match.
Coach Hector Chilombo said he was happy that Bwalya had joined the squad as it was a boost to the team. He expressed hope that the likes of captain, Lubambo Musonda and Saith Sakala will join the team by next week.
Chilombo said he will pick players who will have the endurance and character to compete and challenge for the title.
He said in an interview after yesterday’s morning training session that doors were still open for players who feel can impress and earn a call-up into the team preparing for the continental youth championship slated for next month.
“So far I am happy with what I have seen in training though we still have some work to do as you know the league is on recess and the players lack match fitness. We need plays with character and endurance to play three games within a week because qualifiers are different from a competition,” he said.
Zambia is in Group B with South Africa, Mali and Ghana while Group A comprises hosts Senegal, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Congo Brazzaville and the four semi-finalists will automatically qualify for the FIFA 2015 World Cup in New Zealand.
“The doors are still open for us to include new players because we want to take a strong team to Senegal. I have included some players that performed well during the Region Five Games in Zimbabwe,” he said.
Chilombo said he will wait to access the Red Arrows trio of Patrick Ngoma, Benedict Chepeshi and George Manda, who are away in Tanzania on pre-season training camp.
He said he will name his final 21 member squad on February 26 after assessing all 28 players that have been summoned ahead of departure on March 5 to Senegal.