By GWEN CHIPASULA –
REPUBLICAN President Edgar Lungu has joined the crusade to raise funds for the Zambia Under-23 soccer squad at the 2015 Africa Under-23 Championship kicking off in Senegal next week.

. Mwale

Sports Minister Vincent Mwale said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the Head of State had promised to speak to some private sectors players to help source for funds for the junior Chipolopolo squad.
He said Government was alive to the challenges FAZ was having in sending the team to Senegal and especially that the state’s policy was only to assist the Chipolopolo fulfil its international engagements.
Mwale said President Lungu was trying to help and promised to talk to some corporate entities to help secure funds for the Senegal tournament.
The  minister said the tournament was important because the under-23 was the future senior national team and it was at such competitions where the players would gain exposure.
Mwale said Government was embarking on a project to help Zambia qualify to the FIFA 2018 World Cup in Russia and helping the under-23 will be one of the ways.
“We want to invest in these players because by 2018, the players in the current national team will be too old to perform.
“This is the team that will represent us and we all know Government only has the senior team on its budget so that is why the Head of State is doing all he can to help FAZ ,”he said.
Mwale emphasised that Government wants to achieve the dream of sending Zambia to the World Cup for the first time by doing all it could to support the national teams.
The minister also advised the under-23 team to finish in top three bracket in Senegal to qualify to the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.
At the Africa under-23 Championships, Zambia has been drawn in Group A with hosts Senegal, Tunisia and regional rivals South Africa who yesterday named their 21-man squad for the tournament.
Bafana Bafana coach Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Meanwhile, Mwale told Parliament that his ministry would between 2016 and 2018 upscale the talent identification programme (TIP) and spend more on infrastructure development.
He said Government would look at providing a pathway for the highly talented youths to follow to achieve their full potential and perform sustainably at international competitions.