By GODFREY DUBE –
COACH Kangwa Kaluba has prodded the Zambian lasses to finish off the job against Botswana and secure passage to the next round of the Uruguay 2018 FIFA U-17 Women World Cup qualifiers.
Zambia head into today’s preliminary round return leg with a comfortable 5-2 advantage but Kaluba wants the team to sign off on a high as they prepare to face South Africa in the first round.
A 3-0 win for Botswana would be enough to send them through on away goals rule while a draw would be ideal for Zambia to progress.
“We shall approach the game with the seriousness it deserves and we shall not be complacent because of our aggregate score,” he said.
Kaluba, whose side left yesterday for Botswana, said the technical bench has looked at the tactical aspect of the game and worked on all mistakes noted during the first leg played at Nkoloma Stadium.
“I think the team is ready for the game. Botswana should expect a much stronger team compared to the one they played back in Lusaka,” Kaluba said.
Kaluba said the team aim is to accomplish the task of qualifying for the World Cup and would take each game as it comes.
He was happy that Zambia has a good crop of players with pace and skill, proper consciousness and self belief that they can go far in these qualifiers.
Zambia made her maiden appearance at the World Cup in 2014 in Costa Rica but got booted at group stage level.
To ensure the second appearance remains on course, Kaluba would rely on strikers Christabel Phiri and skipper Lydia Mubanga to torment the Tswanas. Phiri scored four goals in the first leg as Mubanga added a goal in the demolition of Botswana.
Botswana head coach Gaebolae Tapaphiwa conceded the first round defeat but that her bench would review the game and possibly overturn the result in the return leg.
“It will be a huge mountain to overcome but we are ready to climb it because it is not yet over as football is dynamic,” she said.
Tapaphiwa would hope her scoring machines in Gaofetoge Lone and Abueng Michelle will be up to their best to stun Zambia.
Meanwhile, Zambia Sports Fans Association strongman Peter Makembo, who travelled with the team to Botswana yesterday, assured the team of maximum support and called on them to ensure they reach the World Cup finals.