Chipolopolo Milutin Sredojevic insists his second-string side will not be overawed by star-studded hosts Senegal in tonight’s friendly away in Thies.
Zambia kicks-off its June three-match friendly tour today before playing two more away dates against Benin on June 8 in Cotonou and Sudan on June 11 at Omdurman.
Micho said he has high respect for Senegal’s 26-man, all-European based side called-up for the friendly but believes his boys would hold their own despite missing their key players.
“We came with 22 players who are available at present and they are the best-of-the best we have at the moment,” Micho said.
“We believe we shall test ourselves, stretching all our human and sporting limits, against a very good team and we will give a good performance and that this match will prove a point that it will help you and us preparing for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in September.”
Micho’s 22-member team has only five out of the fourteen foreign-based players initially summoned for the tour.
“We have players in the South African league who have not been able to come and also our best players like Patson Daka, Enock Mwepu and Fashion Sakala are not able to come due the fact that they are changing clubs,” Micho said.
But among the four foreign-based call-ups is untested 18-year-old new boy Ntazana Mayembe of Cardiff City in Wales who is expected to make his Chipolopolo debut tonight.
Polokwane City duo of goalkeeper Cyril Chibwe and midfielder Salulani Phiri and TP Mazembe defender Tandi Mwape are the other foreign-based players available for the tour.
There is also a return to the fold of striker Brian Mwila after a three-year hiatus following a challenging period abroad in search of greener pastures.
Mwila rejoined Buildcon in January where he has rediscovered some old form with six goals so far that has not gone unnoticed with Micho’s bench.
Meanwhile, this will be Zambia and Senegal’s first A rating match since August 2013 when they met in another friendly in Paris that ended 1-1.
It is wrong to think that this is 2nd team. There are many players who played abroad and still good. You don’t football:
Rodgers, Moses Phiri, Brian Mwila, Prosper Chiluya, Benson Sakala all are professional players.
Zambia 2- Senegal 1 or 3, depending upon pressure