Zambia Enter Camp Under Dark Stormy Cloud

Faz can breathe a sigh of relief as call-ups from the “rebel” 13 Super Division teams began to arrive in camp for Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup training camp.

Clubs had threatened a fortnight ago to embargo their players from joining the national team for next week’s Cecafa Cup outing in Tanzania until the Kalusha Bwalya-led executive had bowed to pressure to an emergency council meeting.

Players from Zesco United and Power Dynamos including Red Arrows are in camp at Garden House Hotel, Mumbwa Road in Lusaka.

The players are the Power midfield trio of Simon Bwalya, Kennedy Mudenda and Joseph Sitali.

Zesco has a quartet of call-ups namely defenders Billy Mwanza and Nyambe Mulenga, striker Jackson Mwanza and goalkeeper Jacob Banda.

Also in camp by lunchtime Friday was Jimmy Chisenga from Arrows and Norman Munthali from Konkola Blades plus Russian-based attacker Chisamba Lungu who was one of the first foreign-based players to arrive in camp.

In other news, Faz has postponed this year’s Barclays Cup final from his weekend to a yet to be announced date.
Faz is still bogged down in the trenches over their forthcoming emergency council meeting.

Faz communications officer Erick Mwanza told local media that the final will not take place this Saturday after it was rescheduled from November 13 to 20.

“The football fraternity should bear in mind that consultations may take a bit of time but it is gratifying to note the commitment of one of our biggest partners and sponsors in the game that is Barclays for their wonderful commitment to hosting this final, this year,” Mwanza told ZNBC.

“Obviously we just have to agree on the dates on which this tournament, this final, will be played. We are in contact of course with the clubs themselves and like I stated the key thing is to find a suitable calendar date and this week of the 20th is not possible.”