Kaumba Makes Last Olympic Stand

Zambia and Mali Under-23 national soccer teams face-off in formality Olympic Games football qualifier on Wednesday at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka.

None of the two teams have any chance of making it to China for the finals after Ivory Coast secured qualification from Group B on November 18 in Abidjan following a 4-1 home win over 2nd placed Zambia, currently on 7 points, to amass an unassailable 12 points.

Peter Kaumba will instead use the match as warm-up ahead of this weekend’s away game against Swaziland in their inaugural CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) preliminary round qualifiers.

But there is concern over the fitness of key midfielder Rainford Kalaba of Zesco United who has been nursing a knee injury for the last two weeks.

Should Kalaba not pass his late fitness test, Kaumba will turn to Lusaka Dynamos playmaker William Njobvu.

Kaumba is also likely to hand Under-23 debuts to midfielders Sebastian Mwansa of Green Buffaloes and Power Dynamos and Zambia winger Kennedy Mudenda.

He will not have the services of Felix Sunzu due to club commitments in Tunisia but is also ineligible for the CHAN tournament.

However, Kaumba will welcome the arrival of striker Signs Chibambo who scored one against Mali in the first leg last year that Zambia won 2-1.

Chibambo has just returned from club duty with Zesco in Sudan over the weekend in the Caf Africa Champions League.

Kabwe Warriors Emmanuel Mayuka and Reuben Tembo of Green Buffaloes too are available easing Kaumba’s striking problems.

Meanwhile, Mali coach Omar Kone-Cheick who has traveled with a team wholly comprising of home-based players is also looking to finish on a high with a second successive Group B victory.

Bottom placed Mali, on four points, have struggled in the qualifiers and has won just one game after beating Senegal 1-0 at home in November in their penultimate Group B match.