AFTER reviving the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying dream with a 3-1 thumping of Lesotho last Thursday, the Zambia national soccer team will seek to complete a double victory over their Southern African rivals when the two teams face off in the second fixture of the back-to-back clashes today in South Africa.
The Group H fixture slated for Dobsonville Stadium in Johannesburg promises more exciting action as Lesotho will be seeking revenge for the painful defeat recorded in Ndola on Thursday.
Chipolopolo coach Avram Grant will seek to maintain an unbeaten record after starting his reign as Chipolopolo gaffer with a 3-1 win.
And despite having beaten Lesotho on Thursday, Grant knows it won’t be easy facing Lesotho who are still searching for their first win in the group stages.
The Chipolopolo gaffer however believes he has a good squad that can go all the way to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations.
“We have good players that can take us further but it will not be an easy job, it will be difficult but we have the material, we have the players that can take us to the AFCON we have a big squad, of course the squad can change from time to time but we have a team,” Grant said.
Meanwhile, Chipolopolo physiotherapist Hensley Chilimboyi said the team’s captain Lubambo Musonda is not fit for the reverse fixture after sustaining an injury in the home game where he was replaced by Lameck Banda.
The team is medically fit except for Lubambo Musonda who sustained a left hamstring injury,” Chilimboyi said.
With Lubambo Musonda still a doubt, Grant will look to Italian Serie A-based Lameck Banda to provide the individual brilliance that sow him come from the bench to score a brace that helped the Chipolopolo collect their second victory in Group H.
In goal, Grant is likely to maintain Toaster Nsabata with the back four of Benedict Chepeshi, Rodrick Kabwe, Frankie Musonda and Thandi Mwape who proved to be solid on Thursday.
Patson Daka is expected to lead the attack with Fashion Sakala and Klings Kangwa while Emmanuel Banda and Clatous Chama maybe deployed in midfield.
Zambia is second in the group with six points, one point behind Ivory Coast who are unbeaten with seven points while Comoros and Lesotho are third and fourth with three and one point respectively.
IT’S GAME ON
