Peter Kaumba’s team enter camp on the Copperbelt to next week to prepare for their final fixture of their 2008 Olympic Games Group B qualifying matches against visitors Mali on March 26.
Faz general secretary Fidelis Banda said today that the team will be camped in Kitwe on Tuesday ahead of the Under-23 formality Group B match.
Only two players from Kaumba’s team’s last three Olympic qualifiers have survived in this squad.
The team almost wholly comprises of graduates from the Under-20 team that took part in the Fifa World Youth Cup in Canada last July.
The duo is Kabwe Warriors striker Emmanuel Mayuka and his former club mate midfielder Henry Banda who moved to Zanaco this past January.
Meanwhile cote de Iviore have wrapped-up Group B to qualify for the Beijing Football tournament finals this summer thanks to unassailable 12 point lead from the pool from their last five games played.
The Ivorians secured their place to the finals in China after beating Zambia 4-1 in their penultimate game played in Abidjan on November 18.
Zambia are second in Group B and have a distance 7 points visiting Mali are bottom on 4 points while Senegal are third on 5 and host leaders Cote d’Ivoire on the same date.
Zambia Under-23 team:
Goalkeepers: Jacob Banda (Zesco United), Danny Munyau (Red Arrows), Gift Banda (Roan United)
Defenders: Goodson Kachinga, Joseph Zimba (Both Red Arrows), Dennis Banda (Green Buffaloes), Nyambe Mulenga (Zesco United), Richard Chibwe (National Assembly), Joe Lungu (Zamtel)
Midfielders: Peter Malama (Nchanga Rangers), Richard Phiri, Lawrence Pondani (Both Red Arrows), William Njobvu (Lusaka Dynamos), Sebastian Mwansa (Green Buffaloes), Musatwe Simutowe (Zamtel), Justin Zulu (Edusport), Floyd Phiri (Forest Rangers), Boyd Chanda (Power Dynamos), Henry Banda (Zanaco)
Strikers: Simon Lupiya (Red Arrows), Emmanuel Mayuka (Kabwe Warriors) and Kasuba Mwila (Zanaco).
What is Peter Kaumba still doing with the U23? What is it going to take for Zambians to see this guy has failed to deliver! Why do Zambians let things slide and hope people will forget. As long as we maintain this lukewarm coach the U23 will always fall short. Let’s get rid of him now before getting into major competitions where he ends up pulling a terrible judgment card at crucial moments. The rebuilding process and preparation for 2010 should start now with main emphasis placed on the U20 and U23. By virtue of taking the U20 to the World Cup and making it to the second stage, Lwandamina’s resume stands far much better that Kaumba’s at the moment and he should be the one to take over.
Waste of time & resources.Y not get a kitwe select side or better still Zesco united since thr z really nothing to play for
I wouldn’t agree with BuzzEd #1 more. P.Kaumba has been with the U-23 for a long long time he’s failed twice to qualify the team to the Olympics.’Chicken George’ Lwandamina should take over after all the boys in the U-20,who have graduated to the U-23’S are Lwadamina’s boys he knows them better and the players understand him well.The guy qualified the U-20 in a tough group which had Cameroon,Egypt and Nigeria.
I hope the new Faz executive ushered in after March will appoint new coaches at U-20& U-23level.The issue of an Expatriate coach is another urgent issue that needs to be looked at.
It was almost as if Peter Kaumba did not want the team to qualify for Beijing. After starting out so well it seemed the emphasis quickly evaporated, that compiled with what can be thought of as (like BuzzEd said) irrational decisions from Peter Kaumba, we gifted the spot at the show case Olympics to any team that wanted it.
These new guys have been a revelation, a real god send. They probably won’t get the same chance to contest for an Olympic place? It’s important they are encouraged to follow up on their success somehow. To all those young and old, if you get a chance take it and don’t look back, do not spare anyone because no one will spare you. Outright victory.
I think once this last game of the campaign is over and FAZ’s new admin is in place we will see the restructuring of the youth coaches. Good day to you brothers.