By SANDRA MWILA –
ZAMBIA Under-17 soccer team captain Paston Daka and three others have picked up knocks ahead of Friday’s Niger 2015 Africa Junior Championship final round first leg clash against Uganda.
The other three joining Daka on the treatment table include midfielder Musonda Siame, goalkeeper Danny Sikanyika and defender Gift Sikaonga.
Team doctor Mathews Kabindi said in an interview after yesterday’s morning training session at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) in Lusaka that the players were nursing minor knocks.
Kabindi said Daka is nursing a hamstring injury while Siame and Sikaonga have sprained ankles with Sikanyika suffering from a low back pain.
“There is nothing to worry about as these are minor knocks and the players are recovering well and should be ready for the match on Friday. They have been put on light training and we expect to have them in full training by Monday,” he said.
Coach Chris Kaunda said he anticipates a tough game against Uganda but was confident that his boys will withstand the pressure of playing at home and emerging victorious after the two matches.
Kaunda said the boys are aware of the importance of beating Uganda in the two ties as that will see them clinch qualification.
“The game will be tough but my boys are focused at qualifying to the Africa Junior Championship so that they can emulate the Under-20 and senior women teams that have already qualified for the continental competitions,” Kaunda said.
Kaunda said Uganda’s goal scoring form that saw them thrash Seychelles 7-1 in the first round will not scare his lads as they were capable of producing that form having beaten Botswana 6-0 on aggregate in the previous round.
“We are focussing our own training programme and not concerned on what our opponents are doing. Our target is to ensure we qualify for the competition,” he said.