By MUKWIMA CHILALA
THE Qatar dream that was started in 2012 is still alive, says former FAZ youth football chairman and executive committee member Lee Kawanu.
And Kawanu is confident that the Under-20 class of 2017 will graduate into helping Zambia qualify for the World Cup in 2022 to be hosted by Qatar.
Having started this dream to qualify Zambia to the World Cup when he was appointed FAZ youth football chairman in 2012, Kawanu believes Zambia had what it takes to qualify to the global soccer showpiece.
Kawanu said he was confident that with a coach like Micho and the work that the technical director at FAZ had put in, Zambia was best positioned to make it for the tournament.
“I feel that with the kind of players that we have that won the 2017 Under-20 AfCON, that dream still stays on. Yes, a number of them have fallen off and are not as active as we would wish but the core of the team is still there,” Kawanu said.
I’m very hopeful that with a coach like Micho and the work that the technical director with the other coaches are doing in the background, we can definitely still achieve it because it’s something that is still in our hands.
And Kawanu said he was proud of what the Salzburg duo Patson Daka and Enock Mwepu had continued achieving at their club having cemented team places.
“Anyone who has had any part to do with the development of these players is filled with pride every time they see them wear the jersey both for their club and the nation,” he said.
With the qualifiers set to start once the Covid-19 pandemic is contained and given a go-ahead by FIFA, Zambia is set to play Tunisia, Mauritania and Equatorial Guinea in group B of the qualifiers.
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