Zambia Under-23 and Nkana football club coach Beston Chambeshi ho guided the Zambia under 20 to lifting the Africa under 20 championship and went on to have a superb display at the under 20 World Cup.
Chambeshi, who was part of the exploits at the 1988 olympic has the experience and pedigree needed to guide the team to global football supremacy. He has named 26 local players for next weekend’s final camp ahead of the March 20 first leg encounter against Malawi in Blantyre.
He has kept faith in his Under 20 stars naming seven foreign based players among them Patson Daka, Enock Mwepu (both of Red Bull-Austria), Fashion Sakala (KV Oostende), Emmanuel Banda (AS Beziers-France), Edward Chilufya (IF Djurgardens-Sweden), Gampani Lungu (SuperSport United-RSA) and Boston Muchindu (Academica-de-Coimbra-Portugal).
Chambeshi has also drafted Zesco United forward Maybin Kalengo in his squad that regroups on Monday in Lusaka and is expected to be in camp until they play Malawi. Team manager Hastings Ndovi told FAZfootball.com which is monitored by the Zambian Business Times – ZBT that the team will shift its training sessions to Independence Stadium on the artificial turf in preparations for the encounter at the Kamuzu Banda Stadium.
“The boys will be expected to regroup on Monday (March 4) by midday and we expected that the team will be in camp until the game is played,” Ndovi said.
Foreign based players will be expected to join in the final stanza of the preparations.
Zambia plays Malawi on March 20 away and at home four days later with the winner facing either Burundi or Congo Brazzaville in the final qualifying round. Eight teams will qualify to the Egypt 2019 Africa Cup of Nations with the top three at the tournament automatically qualifying to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
The bulk of the current Zambia U23 team were graduated from the 2017 Under-20 Africa Cup winning side and represents Zambia’s best hope for continental and Olympic medals.
TEAM LIST
(GOALKEEPERS)
Mangani Banda (Zanaco), Jackson Kakunta (Power Dynamos), Charles Muntanga (Nkwazi), Lameck Siame (Kitwe United)
(DEFENDERS)
Wayne Museba (Kabwe Warriors), Kebson Kamanga (Nkwazi), Sydney Phiri (Gomes), Paul Banda (Lusaka Dynamos), Solomon Sakala, Shemmy Mayembe (Zesco United), Moses Nyondo (Nkana), Chiboni Kondwani (Power Dynamos), Field Kandela (Kabwe Warriors)
(MIDFIELDER)
Boyd Musonda (Zanaco) , Prince Mumba, (Kabwe Warriors), Lameck Banda, Edward Tembo (Zesco United), Crispin Sakulanda (Red Arrows), Harrison Chisala (Nkana), Ngosa Sunzu (Buildcon), Benson Kolala (Forest Rangers), Linos Makwaza (Power Dynamos)
(STRIKERS)
Biston Banda, Mangani Phiri (Circuit City), Klings Kangwa (Buildcon), Maybin Kalengo (Zesco United)
