•A Zambia Under-23 player (right) in a tussle against an Ivorian in the first leg of the CAF Under-23 Championship in Abidjan.
By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA and GWEN CHIPASULA –
HISTORY is beckoning for Zambia today as the Under-23 soccer squad attempts to knock out a dreaded Ivory Coast side for a place at the Senegal 2015 African Championship.
Zambia has never been to an African Under-23 Championship, which also acts as a qualifier to the Olympic Games.
Coach Fighton Simukonda will hope to end the West African teams’ dominance over Zambia and reach the CAF competition which Senegal will be hosting in November and hope to finish among the top three to secure passage to the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics.
Zambian football last appeared at the Seoul 1988 Olympics where incumbent FAZ president Kalusha Bwalya starred.
Heading into this afternoon’s fixture at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka, the two teams will be aiming to break each other’s rear-guard following a 0-0 draw in Abidjan in the first leg of the final qualifiers.
As the Zambia Under-23 strut the turf, Kalusha’s words on the need to get a two-goal cushion should be ringing heavily on the minds on the players.
At Thursday afternoon’s training session, Kalusha, who announced himself to the world as an African football star at the Seoul Olympics, told the players they needed to secure a two-goal cushion against the West Africans in order to avoid shocks.
“This is a very important game. We at FAZ really want you to go to the Olympics because it is an important tournament. So be focused, work hard and remain disciplined. No one has ever succeeded without the hard work. Hard work and determination will make you succeed,” he rallied the players.
However, Zambia will be facing the Ivorians without defender Boyd Mkandawire who was sent off in the first leg but Simukonda remains optimistic of victory.
Simukonda believes the team is in pitch-perfect condition to achieve this after they fought to a goalless draw away in Abidjan a fortnight ago.
His side has been bolstered by the joining in camp of midfielder Mukuka Mulenga and striker Ronald Kampamba, and even the absence of Emmanuel Mbola does not seem to bother him.
He, however, has enough back-up in defence and Kayawe Kapota should fit in well in that space or preferably Benedict Chepeshi, both with vast international experience from the Under-20 side that was at the Africa Youth Championship earlier this year.
With Ivory Coast coming with a relatively changed squad from the one that drew the first leg, Simukonda will have to play his cards right to get over the better of the opponents.
Simukonda also does not want a repeat of his charges faltering again at home after drawing away like in the case against Nigeria for a berth at the 2015 All-Africa Games.
“We can’t afford to lose at home again like we did against Nigeria. We learnt lessons from the Nigeria loss. Now we have to win at all costs against Ivory Coast,” he said.
But the Ivorians are also wary of the threat posed by Zambia.
“Zambia is a good side, a really strong team. They gave us problems when they came and so far, they are the strongest side we have faced. But we are here to qualify and we shall ensure that,” Ivory Coast assistant coach, Souhalio Haidara said.
The winner of this game will join seven other teams at the November 28 to December 12 Africa Under-23 Championship in Senegal where the continent’s best three sides will qualify to the 2016 Rio Olympics.
