.CHISAMBA LUNGU

By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –

CHIPOLOPOLO star Chisamba Lungu has been hailed as a true patriot for staying close and helping inspire the Zambia Under-17 players believe in themselves as they prepare for tomorrow’s Niger 2015 Africa Youth Championship qualifier against Botswana.
Lungu, who won the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia in 2012, has chosen to train with the Zambia Under-17 and not any of the Premier Division teams like his parent club Zanaco.
“He has been having a lot of talks with the boys. On Thursday, he trained with the young boys all day and today (Friday) joined them over lunch and trained with them in the afternoon,” Under-17 coach Chris Kaunda said.
Kaunda said the presence of such a luminary had brought excitement and self belief in the boys who are really enjoying training especially that Lungu keeps giving them tips on.
He said Zambia needs more of such players who know what it means to train with such a high level player.
“Chisamba came through these same ranks, he made his name at under-17 and he really knows effect having such high level players on train has on the young boys, I can only wish there were more of such players in the country,” he said.
Kaunda said a lot of players once they become regulars at the senior national team forget the junior ranks.
He said the squad was raring to have a go at Botswana with Chisamba’s help.
Zambia tomorrow plays Botswana in the first leg of the second round of the Niger 2015 Africa Under-17 qualifiers.
While the local squad led by Patson Daka are raring to go, Botswana under-17 coach Odirile China Mathlaku was sure his boys would get a positive result in Zambia and finish off the job when the two face off in the second leg in Gaborone.
Mathlaku said his boys were in good condition for the game especially that the league in Botswana was in action.
Mathlaku carried 18 players for tomorrow’s assignment whom he said have high level league
experience from Botswana and have all been exposed internationally.
Meanwhile, the Zambia under-20 has broken camp to enable the players feature for their respective clubs following the resumption of the local league after a mid-season break.
Zambia under-20 manager Daniel Jere has said the players were released to feature for the clubs but should be returning to camp tomorrow evening to continue preparations for the Senegal 2015 Africa Under-20 Championship qualifier against Malawi.
Zambia, who saw off Mozambique in the previous round with a 4-0 aggregate score, first travel to Malawi on August 16 and play the decisive return leg in Lusaka on August 30.