As turmoil swirls at home, the Zambia national team tries to focus on matters on the field today when they open their Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup campaign against hosts Tanzania in a Group A match this afternoon in Dar-es-Salaam.
This will be the two sides first meeting since Tanzania beat Zambia 1-0 in a friendly match on November 21 , 2007 in Dar-es-Salaam despite Zambia attending last two Cecafa Cup tournament’s.
The game will also mark Zambia coach Dario Bonetti’s first tournament outing since his appointment as trainer in July.
A good start will bring a breath of fresh air for the fans back home who are looking to escape the ensuing intriguing sideshow that has seen two parallel football governing structures battling to run the game in Zambia.
Bonetti will be banking on mostly local talent for this tournament that will also see Russian-based striker Chisamba Lungu make his competitive tournament debut for Zambia in Tanzania.
Lungu is one of two foreign-based players in the team.
Fans at home will be eager to see whether he is all hype or the real deal after some earlier eye-catching displays at under-17 level three years ago.
Meanwhile, Bonetti has been boost by the arrival in camp of three players who include Konkola Blades striker Felix Sunzu Junior.
Sunzu returns to the fold for the first time in a year since playing in the Cosafa Senior Challenge Cup in Zimbabwe last year where Zambia finished second behind the hosts.
Sunzu together with Zesco United striker Jackson Mwanza and midfielder Sebastian Mwansa of DR Congo and African club champions TP Mazembe joined the team on Friday, 24 hours after Bonetti and the rest of the Zambia side landed in Dar.
And another person hoping to make an impress is Red Arrows striker Dube Phiri who is the sole survivor of the team that lost to Tanzania three years ago.
Zambia will face Burundi in their penultimate Group A match on Tuesday before facing Somalia on Friday.
Good Luck boys. try and win this cup it seems this could be your last FIFA sanctioned outing considering the nonsense that is happening at home so go out in style
Good luck Copper Bullets!!!
I was just checking the selected photos on Qfm Facebook page of the Faz ECM in Kabwe.Dennis Liwewe is there,FIFA member association manager Privo corvaro is also in attendance and seated next to Great Kalu and ofcourse a multitude of delegates.You see haters!!! Continue choking with hatred!!!
i thought zambia knocked out tanzania from CHAN 2009 after forcing a late draw in ivory coast to advance with senegal to the semi-finals?? hello lusaka times..u really have to up ur spot on reporting. get some liwewe bloodline to help you…u suck