BY MICHAEL MIYOBA
ZAMBIA National soccer team coach Milutin “Micho” Sredojevic has urged national team players not enjoying game time at their respective clubs to move to clubs where they will play for a chance to be called for national team duty.
Micho said he will not use his personal friendship with players to call them to the national team when they are bench warmers at their respective clubs.
“Players have been advised and they are moving already. It’s either they play at their clubs or they won’t be considered. I know I have personal relationships with them but that has to be put aside, I cannot for example bring Justin Shonga and Augustine Mulenga because you already know the reasons,” Micho said.
Meanwhile the Chipolopolo coach has named a 23-man squad of local players to play Ethiopia and South Sudan in international friendly matches set for Thursday and Sunday respectively.
The Serbian has retained most of the local players that were part of the just-ended FIFA international window which saw the Chipolopolo play three matches against Malawi, Kenya and South Africa.
Micho has left out Green Eagles goal keeper Sebastian Mwange while Nkwazi shot stopper Charles Muntanga, Zanaco defender Kebson Kamanga, NAPSA Stars’s Luka Ng’uni and Paul Katena have been retained.
The team enters camp on Tuesday October 20 and will jet-off to Ethiopia the following day in readiness for the match against that country’s national team on Thursday.
Zambia’s second match will be against South Sudan on Saturday before facing Ethiopia again on Sunday.
The local assemblage will wrap up the Addis Ababa engagement with another match against South Sudan on Monday, October, 26.
The Chipolopolo are using the matches to prepare for the back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations qualifier matches against Botswana in November and the African Nations Championship slated for January 2021 in Cameroon.
FULL SQUAD:
(GOALKEPEERS)
Lameck Siame (Kabwe Warriors), Jackson Kakunta (Power Dynamos), Charles Muntanga (Nkwazi)
(DEFENDERS)
Kondwani Chiboni, Zachariah Chilongoshi (both Power Dynamos), Luka Banda, Luka Ng’uni (both Napsa Stars), Dominic Chanda (Kabwe Warriors), Benedict Chepeshi (Red Arrows), Kebson Kamanga (Zanaco
(MIDFIELDERS)
Benson Sakala (Power Dynamos), Albert Kangwanda, Kelvin Kapumbu (both Zanaco), Amity Shamende (Green Eagles), Leonard Mulenga (Green Buffaloes), Bruce Musakanya, Kelvin Mubanga Kampamba (both Zesco United), Collins Sikombe (Napsa Stars), Chaniza Zulu (Lumwana Radiants), Paul Katema (Red Arrows), Thomas Zulu (Nkwazi)
(STRIKERS)
Friday Samu (Green Buffaloes), Emmanuel Chabula (Nkwazi)
PLAYERS CAUTIONED
