Zambia U20 coach Charles Bwale says the two junior international friendlies will be the perfect test for their 2019 U20 AFCON final round qualifier against Burundi.
The U20 AFCON champions will hosts Malawi and South Africa during the Heroes and Unity Holidays as part of their 2019 qualifier decider against Burundi in mid-July.
Zambia will face Malawi at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka on July 1 and later host South Africa at the same venue on July 7 where they will also play Burundi in the first leg on July 14 before travelling to Bujumbura on July 21.
“These are important international friendly games. The boys need to be exposed to such friendlies unlike the local training games that we are usually play,” Bwale said.
Bwale said friendlies will be a great opportunity for his fringe players like midfielder Lifumpa Mwandwe Shrewsbury Town in England and new call-up Kings Kangwa of Hapoel Be’er Sheva in Israel to stake a claim for the crucial date against Burundi.
“It will be important to see some players who didn’t or saw little action in our last games like Mwandwe. We want them to come into camp before these two friendly games,” Bwale said.
Meanwhile, 24 players kicked off their training camp in Lusaka on Tuesday minus all the four foreign call-ups who include 2017 U20 AFCON winner Edward Chilufya of Djurgardens in Sweden and striker Mwiya Malumo of English club Wigan.
