By MICHAEL MIYOBA
NATIONAL Futsal team coach Andrea Cristoforetti says the team’s main objective is to qualify for the 2024 Futsal Africa Cup.
Mozambique will host the quadrennial international futsal championship organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the men’s national teams of Africa.
Cristoforetti, who has named a 15-member squad led by lethal striker Chota Chileshe who finished the 2023/24 FAZ Premier Futsal League as the top scorer, is determined to qualify Zambia for the seventh edition of the Africa Futsal Cup of Nations.
The 2024 Futsal Africa Cup which will act as qualifiers for the 2024 Futsal World Cup will be played between January 29 to February 11 in Mozambique.
The qualifiers return on December 11 and will run up to December 20, 2023 and will be played on home and away basis. The draws will be conducted later this month.
Before engaging in the Futsal AFCON qualifiers, the national team will compete at an international futsal championship slated for September 18 in L’Aquila, Italy.
With the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) having confirmed that the 2024 Africa Futsal Cup of Nations qualifiers will be played in December this year, the tournament in Italy will give Zambia the tough test needed to prepare adequately.
“The team is doing good. We are remaining with four weeks to prepare for the tournament in Italy which is essential because when we come back from Italy, we will be having the first leg of the Africa Cup qualifiers between October 4 and 6,” Cristoforetti said.
