…Grant cautions Chipolopolo players
By MICHAEL MIYOBA
CHIPOLOPOLO coach Avram Grant has cautioned his players to prove themselves if they are to earn a spot in the final squad that will represent the country at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations AFCON slated for next month in Ivory Coast.
Grant said only players that are ready to meet the three prescribed selection criteria by his technical team will be in the final squad. He was speaking in an interview with the FAZ media announcing the preparatory journey for his squad ahead of the AFCON tournament
He said all the squad members will undergo stringent physical tests to check if they are in good condition to play at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Grant said everyone will be given an opportunity and the players that prove themselves will be in the final squad.
The Chipolopolo gaffer said physical trainer Jamie Lawrence will run unique physical tests on the squad members without exception.
Grant said the Chipolopolo will kick-off their AFCON preparatory journey with a weeklong camp in Lusaka during the Christmas period before heading for an international camp on January 1 for the final preparatory stage that will consist of the final AFCON squad.
“Our preparations for the AFCON will intensify in the next few weeks and we will have a camp around Christmas time for local and foreign-based players. This will be to assess which players will be ready for the international camp and eventually the tournament,” Grant said.
“Our physical trainer Jamie Lawrence will do lot of work with the players as others have not played enough matches to be ready,” Grant said.
Grant said the players who will seem ready whether local or foreign will proceed to the international camp.
“The final phase will involve the international camp that we are working on in the background where we will work out the finer details,” he said.
The ex-Ghana, Chelsea and West Ham gaffer has prescribed a selection process anchored on quality, passion, and desire to play for one’s country that has previously shut out some players.
The 34th edition of the continental championship which will run from January 13 to February 1, 2024.
The Chipolopolo will be based in the coastal city of San Pedro, the host city for Group F consisting of Zambia Morocco, Congo and Tanzania.
