. Chilumba

By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –
THE Zambia Under-23 has been drawn against Madagascar in the first round qualifiers for the Congo Brazzaville 2015 All-Africa Games (AAG) tournament to be staged in August.
And should Zambia make it past the Islanders as widely expected, the Tenant Chilumba coached side will then have the mammoth task of overcoming either African giants Nigeria or Gabon for a place at the 11th edition of the AAG.
According to the draws released yesterday in the Egyptian capital Cairo, Zambia, which will also be involved in the Africa Olympics championships qualifiers next year, will have to play the possible two qualifiers in February and March next year.
The draws come just four days after CAF released draws that will see the team taking part in a tough series of games in order to make the Africa Under-23 championship.
These AAG qualifiers will be played a month before Zambia engages into the Africa Olympic qualifiers which could see Zambia take on another West African powerhouse Ivory Coast.
Whereas the 2015 AAG to be staged in Congo Brazzaville is an Africa affair that ends with just the bragging rights, the Africa Olympic Championships to be staged in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will serve as qualifiers to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.
Meanwhile, the Shepolopolo has avoided the African heavyweights Banyana-Banyana, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea in their bid to qualify to the 2016 Olympics to be staged in Rio.
Zambia will in the first round play Zimbabwe in May next year with the winner of that two-leg fixture set to meet the winner between Ivory Coast and Tunisia who also play the second round.
Should the Shepolopolo go past the second round, they are likely to meet Cameroon, Egypt and Ghana.
On the local scene, two Chipolopolo players yesterday joined the injury list, bringing the total to five in the squad’s monthly camp.
Napsa Stars’ striker Saith Sakala and defence pillar Boyd Mkandawire were not part of the team’s training session after picking up knocks and they joined Ronald ‘Sate-Sate’ Kampamba, Danny Munyau and Jimmy Chisenga on the treatment table.
The team is shaping up for the Morocco 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier match against Niger in Niamey on October 10/11.