Zambia one of three CAF U23 Cup debutants

Zambia will be one of three debutants at the second edition of the CAF Under-23 Cup in November.

Tunisia and Mali, who eliminated defending champions Gabon, are the other tournament first-timers joining Zambia at the championship that will decide Africa’s three representatives at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Zambia, quarterfinalists at Seoul 1988, are chasing their third Olympic outing.

Tunisia seeking their first Olympic appearance since Greece 2004 so too will be Mali after reaching the quarterfinals in Athens.

And Fighton Simukonda’s team is in the company of four other high-powered prospective opponents for the tournament that will run from November 28 to December 12.

They include Senegal who automatically qualified as hosts and are chasing their second Olympic appearance since reaching the quarterfinals at London 2012.

Zambia’s nemesis in the 2011 CAF Under-23 qualifiers Algeria will be heading for their second appearance but still without an Olympic outing since 1980 in Moscow where they were quarterfinalists.

2012 quarterfinalists Egypt will be hunting for an unpredicted 12th Olympic appearance.

Africa’s most seasoned Olympic team has been taking part in the quadrennial event since 1920 in France and represented the continent in five successive finals in between the two World Wars including the infamous 1936 Berlin Games.

The rest are Atlanta 1996 Olympic champions Nigeria with six Olympic outings will be hoping for the first Olympiad since winning silver at Beijing 2008.

South Africa return for a second CAF Under-23 Cup tournament and are seeking their first Olympic qualification since Sydney 2000.

The 2015 CAF Under-23 Cup draw date and venue ceremony will be decided at this weeks CAF Executive Committee meeting on August 6 in Cairo.