By GWEN CHIPASULA –
THE Zambia Secondary Schools Sports Association (ZASSSA) has picked 14 players into its provisional member squad to represent the country at the Inter-Africa Stars Football Championship to be held in South Africa next month.
Surprisingly, champions Chizongwe Secondary School have contributed only two players in Tony Ngoma and Jackson Daka while runners-up Chongwe boast of three players in Alfred Soko, Ackford Zulu and Allan Nyawali.
Also making the team is tournament top scorer Thomas Banda of Linda and player-of-the-tournament Prince Mumba, who is joined by his Solwezi team-mate Alex Kafwala.
Others are Joseph Phiri from Highridge, Kenneth Sitali from Mpika, Niza Simitenda from Mungwi, Honour Chaluza from Kalomo, Nchimunya Hamakala from Solwezi and Gift Chibuye from Mafumu.
The 14 will battle it out with other players, picked during early stages of the qualifying tournaments, to make the final national team.
ZASSA president Chipangano Tembo also confirmed that the association would next year include the girls’ competition through continued support from sponsors, and expressed happiness with the organisation of this year’s event.
“We just want to thank our sponsors for the continued support for over 20 years now because we get to identify new talent every year when we hold such competitions,” Tembo said.
Zambian Breweries general manager Panji Banda said his company was excited to sponsor the tournament that helped tap talent at the grassroots from across the country every year.
Sports Minister Vincent Mwale said the Government was happy that the tournament had helped to keep the youth busy by avoiding them engaging in other bad vices.
Mwale said in a speech read for him by Sports Council of Zambia (SCZ) chairperson Mwamba Kalenga that the Government would continue supporting such events with the help of big sponsors like Coca-Cola and Zambian Breweries.
He urged the squad travelling to South Africa to go and shine and raise the Zambian flag high.
Chizongwe were crowned champions after beating Chongwe 4-1 while Solwezi finished third after beating Kaoma 3-0.