. LWANDAMINA

By SANDRA MWILA –
COACH ‘Chicken’ George Lwandamina has declared the Chipolopolo ready for their CAF 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) Group D opening game against Zimbabwe tomorrow.
Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) club licencing manager Erick Mwanza said in an interview from Rwanda yesterday that Lwandamina declared the team ready for the clash against the Warriors of Zimbabwe.
Mwanza said all was well in camp and that the players are all enjoying a clean bill of health ahead of tomorrow’s clash.
The Chipolopolo yesterday morning had a 45-minute walk from the team’s Lake Kivu Gorillas Hotel to the beautiful shores of one of the Great Lakes.
“All the players are fit and ready to face Zimbabwe. The coach is also happy that the squad is enjoying a clean bill of health,” Mwanza said.
He said the technical bench is happy with the commitment and progress the players have made ahead of their first game, adding that the morale in camp was high with the players having a positive attitude.
Mwanza said the players have acclimatised well to the weather in Rwanda which has been characterised by the rains.
“The spirit in camp is very good. All players have a positive attitude. They have adapted to the weather, it’s not too hot like in Zambia….it’s raining but it’s okay,” Mwanza said.
Zambia will face Uganda on Saturday before wrapping up group duties with a tie against Mali.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe acting president Emmerson Mnangagwa has challenged the Warriors to aim for gold by winning the CHAN tournament.
Mnangagwa told the squad during a grand send off organised by the Sport and Recreation Ministry in Harare that it was time the Callisto Pasuwa side fought to bring home the trophy having competed in all the past three editions.
“We applaud our brave and hard working Warriors for making Zimbabwe proud by their very act of qualifying for the CHAN tournament. However, we recognise that qualifying is a feat which most countries look forward to, for us, competing at this prestigious continental event is now tradition, which saw the Warriors attain fourth place in 2014.
The challenge before us is to win the championship. Bring home the championship, Go Warriors Go, Go Warriors Go,” Mnangagwa said.
According to the Herald newspaper, Mnangagwa urged the players to display the fighting spirit of the country’s founding fathers who fought in the liberation struggle.
“Go to Rwanda and fight like the Warriors of the past who brought about liberation, and the birth of our great nation,” he said.