Zambia Under-23 face Senegal Under-23 on Saturday, October 13 in Dakar in the two sides Beijing Olympic Games Group B qualifying game.
The match is the return leg of the two teams last Group B meeting when they played out to a 1-1 draw in a poor game played at Nkoloma stadium in Lusaka on September 8 that saw Zambia rally to share the points.
Another stuttering display could see Zambia lose their Group B lead where they have a slender one-point advantage over second placed Cote d’Ivoire who are on 7 and 6 points respectively going into this weekends matches.
Meanwhile, Cote d’Ivoire are away this Saturday to bottom of the table Mali in Bamako.
Coach Peter Kaumba should be pleased to have his key strikers Felix Nsunzu of Konkola Blades and Given Singuluma from South African division 2 club Bay United back in the fold.
Nsunzu and Singuluma have missed the Under-23 teams last two Olympic qualifiers due with the latter serving a two-match suspension while the former was excused from squad duties.
Their return is a welcome relief for Kaumba after an awful display by the substitute strikers against Senegal on September 8.
Kaumba will be missing scorer of Zambia’s equalizer in that match Stophira Nsunzu.
The Blades midfielder is away on trials at English Premiership club Reading and will not be back in the country for at least another fortnight.
However, Kaumba has good cover for the teenage midfielder with the inclusion of the talented Lusaka Dynamos playmaker William Njovu.
Njovu is expected to make his Under-23 debut together with his fellow former Under-20 team mate and Kabwe Warriors striker Emmanuel Mayuka.
Both players will be hoping for another good outing after scoring on their debut with the senior team in a 3-0 win over Mozambique in a Cosafa Castle Cup semifinal match on September 29 in Pretoria.
Victory away this weekend will be a confidence boost ahead of the Under-23’s crucial penultimate Group B match against Cote d’Ivoire in Abidjan during the weekend November 17-18.
Weekend Football Fixtures.
2008 OLYMPIC GAMES FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT QUALIFIERS.
Group B
13/10/2007
Senegal- Zambia
Mali-Cote d’ Ivoire
2007 BARCLAYS CUP QUARTERFINALS
13/10/2007
Woodlands stadium, Lusaka
Zesco United- Lusaka Dynamos
Green Buffaloes- Green Eagles
Nchanga stadium, Chingola
Chambishi- Riflemen
Nkana- Konkola Blades
FAZ PREMIER LEAGUE WEEK 28
14/10/2007
Nchanga Rangers – National Assembly
Zanaco – Young Arrows
Red Arrows – Nakambala Leopards
Zamtel – Roan United
17/10/2007
Green Buffaloes – Kabwe Warriors
Forest Rangers – Zesco United
Power Dynamos – Lusaka Dynamos
City of Lusaka – Konkola Blades
U23 baice, we need goals.
Abaleya Toshack Peter Kaumba ali mu-man pa Aurther Davies stadium and all those skills he used to employ will be imparted in you boys. Good luck for the game.
In life you have to be careful with the things you say. God punishes people who think and feel evil for others. Uganda claimed that the SA- Zambia game was fixed. Look at them now they have failed to qualify for the nations cup. Maybe if they kept quiet Benin would not have won. God is watching!
Please, anyone with an update????? we are dying to know the results
The Zambian media really need to improve when it come to the declaration of results. They are just too slow
Zambia lost 1-3 and Ivory Coast won by the same margin in Mali, so Ivory Coast is now on top
Where did you get that information from, I have searched the whole INTERNET, and there are no results. You PIG
If you can read French man, then search for Senegal newspapers, the scores are there but they are written in French. Am not sure about what Anonymous said.
Zambia lost 2-1 it is on ZNBC’S website. We do not need to be alarmed. A draw in Ivory Coast and a win against Mali at home will see us through. Let’s not panic.
Yes Zambia lost 2-1, but its a tall order to think zambia can beat Ivory Coast. Its the usual snydrome of failing to utilise chances at home that has failed zambia.