By GWEN CHIPASULA –
THE Zambia Under-23 soccer coach Fighton Simukonda has expressed satisfaction with the input from the players in the 2015 Senegal African Under-23 Championship provisional squad.
As the team broke camp in Lusaka yesterday before regrouping on October 4, Simukonda said preparations started on a good note and that the purpose was to make the team train as a unit .
The team will be training for three days each week to enable the technical bench monitor the players’ progression.
Simukonda described the Africa Under-23 tournament as highly competitive, hence the need for adequate preparations for the team.
“We have started on a good note. The purpose of this is to make the players stick together and it is a very long process so we can not start judging performance of any player at this moment,” he said.
Simukonda said Zambia was endowed with many talented players and that there was need to give such footballers a chance to prove their worth.
On Monday, Simukonda summoned Gozon Mutale from Division One North League leaders, Lumwana Radiants to join the squad.
He described Mutale as a good player who just needed more time to fit in.
“So far so good, the boy is doing just fine. He just needs some time and he will be okay. We called him for a purpose and you shall be seeing more of him in the team because he is a good player,” he said.
As the team broke camp, three players, strikers Moses Phiri, Friday Samu and midfielder Kelvin Mubanga went back to their clubs with injuries.
Simukonda was however confident the trio would be okay as the team regroups on October 4.
Yesterday the team had a practice match with amateur side Circuit City, winning 3-0.