Zambia national team midfielder Andrew Sinkala has ruled himself out of 2008 Africa Cup finals.
The midfielder from 2.Bundesliga team Paderborn confirmed from Cologne, Germany where he is admitted in hospital that he would not be available for the Africa Cup.
Sinkala revealed that he did not think that he would recover in time from his chest infection to feature for Zambia in Ghana.
Zambia national team coach Patrick Phiri said the news was a blow to his plans ahead of the Africa Cup that kickoff in a fortnight time in Ghana on January 20.
And with Sinakla’s withdrawal from the team, Phiri is now sweating on the recovery of another 2.Bundesliga player in the form of defender Moses Sichone of Kickers Offenbach.
Sichone is currently nursing a rib injury and Phiri has given himself until the CAF January 10 final team list submission deadline before making a final decision whether to drop him.
And Zambia’s departure from Spain to Tunisia has been rescheduled from today to tomorrow team a manger Solly Pandor confirmed today from Jerez.
He said Zambia will this evening, Wednesday play a training game against a local league team before wrapping up their week-long training camp in Spain.
Meanwhile, it is still not certain as to when defender Elijah Tana of El Merriekh in Sudan would join the team in North Africa.
Tana is still in Zambia but has said today that he was still awaiting instructions from Faz on when and where he will join the team.
The defender has been conspicuously missing from Zambia’s local training camp since he arrived in the country just days before the team departed for Spain after being excused to attend to a family problem.
He even missed the team’s flight to Spain on December 25 and subsequently failed to even board a flight booked for him three days later.
Zambia on Friday head out to Tunisia where they play the latter in a friendly international this Sunday, January 6.
The team will be joined in Paris, France by striker Collins Mbesuma of Bursaspor in Turkey on the teams way to North Africa.
Following the Tunisia match, Zambia will travel to Morocco where they will take on the Atlas Lions in another warm-up January 12.
Another friendly match against Nigeria en route to the Ghana Africa Cup finals that kickoff on January 20.
I said it before and i will say it again. Sinkala and Sichone should not have been included because of the nature of their illnesses. There is no way these two boys could pass a fitness test in their conditions.PP forget these two boys, and dont sulk about them dealing a blow to your plans. You should have a contigency plan.There are players willing and able to play. I applaud the fact that our boys will play proper friendlies against worthy opponents before the real thing.
Who now? Chivuta? Whoever we chose can we make sure they aren’t too small in stature. Also, what is the latest with Felix Sunzu? We need clarification if he will be with the team or not.
I might be wrong but i feel the two gentlemen are not just interested. Forget about them, am sure the available chaps will do our nation proud. All the best.
you know i think these two guy have no heart for our country, each time the give reasons. If they are truely sick check there medical reports. Why each time they are called they find a reason not to appear maybe there are ashame the the loosing habits of our team. Say it guys so that next time we will not focus our energy on you. Remember do good to your country and in your old days you will enjoy like great kalu.
Ni chest infection yashani eyo tablelanda? Its got no name? Mpaka na 1 month ikwane muchipatala? Kaya.
It is true Sichone is injuired,and Sinkala has been ill of late. Bushe fwe bantu tufwaya umuntu afwa elyo twa shi nkisha. Ichikalipa chumfwa uwine, so let us wait. Drogba of Ivory Coast is injuired too kanshi nao ninshi bufi. Lets be patient bane, things will be OK in the end.
To begin with, the two Germany’s based duo’s of Sichone and Sinkala should not have been included into the African Cup of nations. However, Mr Phiri him self thinks these two boys we make a differece and serve his job maybe. “I think Zambia has better players in the camp that we do a great job. Forget about them boys and move on. Because at the end of the day, you do not want to be for sorry and pay a huge price on not making it to the second round.
I am just reading about those illnesses. #1,3,4,7, its unfair to brand Sinkala as being unpatriotic. I don’t know about Sichone. Its not long ago colleagues that Sinkala featured in that crunch match against SA in cape town and you know the results. He featured in almost (if not all) all the CAN qualifiers even where others wouldn’t have. How can he today refuse to do so?? He should be commended for saying he won’t make it so that PP can find a replacement.Check records before you condem!
If the two are not well, then we have to use other players. Let us not just critisize. These two boys have played for Zambia before and gave their best. Wishing them a quick recovery, so that they can help us if possible with the world cup qualifiers. We need these players as they are more exposed.
I think umwaiche Sinkala nakalepuka. Apimishe fye!
P.P should just call in players to replace the two, Francis Kasonde,Noah Chivuta and Stophira Sunzu for me are players that he can look at.Coming to Sichone and Sinkala i am sure the are definitely not well.Andrew like someone has already said came for the crucial game against S.A about three months ago.We forget easily as fans.We give praises to a player today call him a hero , tomorrow we call the same player bad names when his form dips.Mu chinje!
#10 Keyser Soze,
Ukulepuka kuti kalepuka but bane ifi fintu fyaisa fye. Otherwise I cant subtract anything from Andrew Sinkala. I think he is a patriot and we should just wish him the quickest recovery. The culprit is Moses Sichone. For whatever reason tumangwe bafola ku germany twalimukusha umutwe sana. Let him just be afterall he was the one responsible for our loss at home to S.A when he featured with 3 hearts!
GET WELL SOON ANDREW.
I also feel it is not really fair to label these players as unpatriotic, actually sinkala is being honest and mature to realise that he cant make it thereby giving the technical team ample time to adjust.Mr pp consider chivuta,felix sunzu on any guy with some enough muscle and skill to replace sinkala.And plz ba Faz DO NOT POLITICIZE TANA issue,when are yuo sending him to the squad?
Gentlemen lets try to remain human even when things are bad.It is very sad to make fun and unsubstatiated conclusions based on frustrations.The man is sick and in hospital yet someone still has the guts to say the man is unpatriotic.What is patriotism? How many players have died on the field of play because of undetected medical conditions.So Sinkala must come and die on pitch because that is patriotism.Nonsense.The guy is being honest and proactive to give the coaches enough time to make amends
This highlights the issue of players playing abroad, they become isolated, in future regular communication will have to be enforced to keep foreign players in the mix. it is unfortunate the pair will be unable to take part, but there is now an opportunity for others to step up to meet the challenge ahead. stay positive everyone, we should be supporting each other.
# it is unfortunate that both Sinkala and Sichone are ill we can only wish them a quick recovery. In the meantime we have to plan and operate without them I am the tournament will unvail new revelations in thiese players positions and we may in future not rely on them.
Bushe kanshi aka ka Malaria virus umwaiche alwele, kashani.
It is normal to fall sick and no one is immune to diseases. SO Mr Sinkala did well to withdraw for his healthy’s sake. But I am just concerned with the coach calling players playing in SA second division teams. With due respect to Davies Nkausu, PP should have called in-form attacking midfielder of Bidvest Wits. Any he is the coach and he knows what is doing. Lets wait and see.
I wish Zambian coaches can learn to separate personal issues they have with players and look at the bigger picture which is making Zambian people whose tax payers money they are using happy for once. It is evident, that Phiri is deliberately living Chivuta a player on top of his game at the moment on personal grounds otherwise why is he not selecting him? At what stage in Chivuta’s career will he contribute to the national team than now? It’s sad Phiri is big headed just like Kaumba.
Zambians are know to be good at talking. Leave the two lads alone and please spare there lifes.
yes mr pp seem to have a personal thing against the chivuta.why not invite him but intead call nkaus.that was a por call he should consider chivuta.