Kabaso Chongo has arrived in the Zambia 2021 COSAFA Cup camp in Lusaka and declared the team means business in their bid to retain the regional title for a record-equaling sixth time.
The TP Mazembe defender and Chipolopolo captain trained with his teammates on Saturday in Lusaka after arriving from Lubumbashi on Friday afternoon.
“We have to work extra hard to make it easy for ourselves at the COSAFA Cup. The guys that will be picked to start must play with their hearts because we have an objective to achieve,” Kabaso said.
Kabaso is one of nine foreign-based call-ups summoned for the COSAFA Cup that South Africa is hosting at Nelson Mandela Bay from July 6-18.
He joins a high-powered lineup of call-ups who include Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene, strikers Justin Shonga of Cape Town City, Amazulu’s Augustine Mulenga, Â Polokwane City midfielder Salulani Phiri and Roderick Kabwe of Black Leopards plus SuperSport United forward Gamphani Lungu.
Goalkeepers Mwenya Chibwe of Polokwane and Bradley Mweene of Portuguese fourth tier club AD Sanjoanense complete the roll of foreign-based COSAFA Cup call-ups.
But Kennedy Mweene and Chibwe are due to join the team when it lands in South Africa on Monday.
Zambia is in Group B where they will play Malawi, Comoros and Madagascar.
The defending COSAFA Cup champions face Comoros in their Group B opener on July 7.
Zambia is hoping to join record winners Zimbabwe on six senior COSAFA Cup titles.
Kabaso should be playing his original position, right back.