By GWEN CHIPASULA and MWANGALA LISELI –
ZAMBIA Under-23 soccer team captain, Toaster Nsabata said the team is aiming at winning the CAF 2015 African Championships second round, first leg match against Botswana when the two sides clash this Friday at Lobatse Sports Complex.
Nsabata said morale was high in camp especially with some new faces that have joined the squad and that everyone was working hard in ensuring that Zambia qualifies for the African Under-23 Championship to be held in Senegal.
The winner of this two legged encounter advances to the final round to face Ivory Coast for a place at the continental championship where the top three teams shall qualify to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games to be staged in Brazil.
“We don’t know much about Botswana but from what we have heard, they are scared of us and so we shall use that information to ensure we pick up a victory in Gaborone to enable us to be in pole position to qualify,” he said.
Nsabata said the players learnt lessons from the All Africa Games qualifiers and will not want to repeat that feat that saw them miss out on the finals after holding Nigeria 0-0 away just to lost 2-1 at home.
“It is tricky when playing some team you don’t know much about but I am confident we shall carry the day. Everyone is focussed on winning the match. We have the likes of Lubambo Musonda who is a new addition to the team and we hope we can work together to get the desired result,” he said.
Coach Fighton Simukonda said it was difficult to rate Botswana because he does not have much information about them.
Simukonda said giving a final verdict before the two teams clash would be more like deceiving everyone.
“I do not want to lie, I have heard a lot of stories yes, and like I always say, there is no such thing as a small team. So we shall not underrate them but we are definitely not scared of them and we just have to win this,” he said.
Simukonda has also recalled Zesco United’s John Ching’andu to his squad following Patson Daka’s invitation to the senior national football team for the 2015 Cosafa Cup.
Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) communications manager Nkweto Tembwe said in an interview that the team leaves for Botswana tomorrow evening.
Meanwhile, Shepolopolo midfielder Mary Mwakapila has been ruled out of this Saturday Congo Brazzaville 2015 All Africa Games qualifier against Zimbabwe in Lusaka.
Acting team manager Belinda Chisanga said Mwakapila only attended two training sessions since the team regrouped but disappeared without a word.
Chisanga said an interview that this will, however, not affect the team’s performance as it had capable players able to win the match.