Logistical challenges ahead await the successful staging of Zambia‘s training camp programme next month in Europe .

A sizeable number of Zambia’s starting line-up is scattered in foreign leagues from Holland, Portugal, Germany, South Africa, Israel, North Africa to France whose clubs resume their 2009/2010 campaigns campaigns in the first and second weeks of August.

Herve Renard’s side is set to set up camp in Holland on August 17 ahead of Zambia’s 2010 World/Africa Cup Group C qualifier away to Algeria on September 6 in Algiers.

Clubs are only obliged to release players for international matches at least five days before the match date thus putting the two week camp in bit of a quandary.

Furthermore, it has in the past been easier for most key home-based players to be in camp but Zesco United have made it known that they will only release their players five days before the Algeria game.

Zesco have a tight August with three Caf African Champions League Group A engagements to take care of.

That could leave Renard with less than a starting 11 available from a local contingent for the Holland camp.

It will not also make any economic sense for Renard to take a squad stacked with fringe home-based players
to Europe whom he knows will not make the final cut for the game against Algeria.

Meanwhile, Zambia has a August 12 friendly date with a yet to be named opponent.

The venue of the game will be another important factor as Faz tries have its strongest side available and
that will be easier to mobilize within the mandatory 48 hours before a friendly international.

A European venue for the friendly will be ideal especially that half of the regular starters are based there.

9 COMMENTS

Red Lipstick July 9, 2009 At 4:34 pm

Frankly, this is wasting money. We ve drained too much resources on this non-perfoming team. Already, it looks like we are cup of the world cup contetion.
Cîroc July 9, 2009 At 4:37 pm

rules are rules.. and FAZ just has to go with the FIFA guidelines. My suggestion is for HR to hold a camp in Zambia with the local players and then play the international friendly against a north african team in europe somewhere. I suppose HR would prefer france. Like the article says, it will not make sense taking players from choma eagles to a european camp when they will not get any game time. FAZ needs to think hard on this one. good luck to the boys though.
Sharp Shooter July 9, 2009 At 4:40 pm

We should diversify sports as well.Cricket,Basketball like in Angola,swimming as well as other sports.Monopolising football is proving to be heartbreaking.
Red Lipstick July 9, 2009 At 4:43 pm

#2, is camping a team in holland part of FIFA guidelines? please educate me a bit! They may as well camp in Mkushi its not a big deal. Moreover nothing good comes out of this boys.
Cîroc July 9, 2009 At 4:49 pm

i just dont know what zambian soccer fans want.. the team wins two games and suddenly everyone expects them to win the world cup.. they lose a game and we throw them out the door. I don’t think we will go anywhere as supporters. no, camping in holland is not part of the guidelines.. but for sure you will be the first one to complain that the team was not camped abroad if they lose to algeria. either way, I agree with #3.. there is so much sporting talent in zambia left unexposed. this is true all over africa and it is about time someone did something about it. I think that someone is you bloggers out there who love to talk but never do anything. some of us are actually trying to make plans to develop zambian sports and culture…
Ba Moze July 9, 2009 At 4:58 pm

Renard himself has said we are out of the race, so what the he.ll are we doing in Holland?
daniel kangwa July 9, 2009 At 11:43 pm

Please stop wasting the money on players that will not play. That’s why we will not go to the world cup because we use players I will not even enter the pick when playing Algeria.
Mossad July 10, 2009 At 9:42 am

Renard na Mbesuma bafimaule bad, go to summit and ask.
ANIMAL FARM WORKER July 11, 2009 At 12:11 pm

The period of camping in Holland is not adequate. Its a matter of making dollars whilst on so called tour of duty. Before embarking on foreign camping the officials were supposed to take into a/c the timing & availability of foreign based players. Meantime the locally based chaps will be drafted into the team only to be dropped when making final team. My own opnion Zambia wont make it to South Africa World Cup 2010 We messed up bright chances. FINITO