By YVONNE SAKALA –
SHEPOLOPOLO head coach Enala Simbeye says she is using the international friendly match  against Malawi to select a strong team that will feature in the next year’s qualifiers.
Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) secured an international friendly for the senior team scheduled for Lilongwe on December 28.
Simbeye, said in an interview after the team’s morning session at the Olympic Youth Development Center (OYDC) that so far, only 15 players had reported for camp and that all players were expected by last evening.
She said she was not surprised that some players delayed to report to camp, saying that delay could have been due to communication by FAZ to the players, adding that it was off season and it will be difficult to reach them on time.
“We have 15 players in camp and we expect to have a full house by afternoon training session I don’t think the players are indiscipline whenever you call a team in camp they all report and come on time. I have not seen any indiscipline player and I don’t think it can start now, we have a big number of them who have not come due to communication,” Simbeye said.
Simbeye, said the technical bench was taking the friendly seriously because next year, the team would start playing qualifying matches, saying the team would not play the qualifiers for the sake of, but to compete and get qualification.
She said the association has put in a lot to ensure women football developed and they have taken women soccer seriously, adding it was more reason why the team was given friendlies to improve.
“The friendly is very important to us because next year we will be playing qualifying matches and we don’t want to just participate in those qualifying matches, but we want to take part and qualify
“We are using this friendly to pick the best team that will feature in the national team for  next year, so we are taking it seriously like if it’s a final Africa or World Cup, even the players know themselves we have never had friendly before this shows the association has put in a lot,” she said.
On the preparations ahead of the friendly she said the team was responding well to training, and that all the players were in good shape and injury free.
“The training has been good we started yesterday afternoon and this morning we had a good training.”
“We don’t have any injuries they are in perfect condition,” she said.