. Mweene

By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –
DESPITE the national mourning declared for the late President Michael Sata, the Chipolopolo will dust themselves up today and begin preparing for this month’s two crucial 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Mozambique and Cape Verde.
Zambia’s first Group F assignment will be against Mozambique next Saturday in Maputo before hosting Cape Verde in Ndola on November 19.
Chipolopolo coach Honour Janza is expecting all the 13 local players who include four from the junior national teams to be at the Golden Peacock Hotel in Lusaka by 18:00 hours.
Janza summoned a total of 27 players for the two assignments which will determine’s fate at the 2015 AFCON finals.
The locals will then be joined by a foreign legion of players who include new call ups Lubambo Musonda and Evans Kangwa as well as Kennedy Mweene who missed his club’s midweek game due to a groin injury.
FAZ communications manager, Nkweto Tembwe said because of the national mourning, training will be behind closed doors with Sunset Stadium tentatively set as a practice venue.
“We shall keep communicating on the training but one thing that is for sure is that all locals should be in camp on Saturday and we may actually see some foreign based players coming in on the same Saturday,” Tembwe said.
On Mweene’s groin injury, Tembwe said the Chipolopolo technical bench had not been informed of anything wrong with the first-choice goalkeeper and therefore expected him to report to camp like all the other players but team medics would examine him.
Zambia is in a precarious position in its quest to qualify for the 2015 AFCON finals and are second on the table with five points after a win and two draws, same as Mozambique who are in third while Cape Verde are tops on nine points.
With the dangerous Cape Verde coming to Ndola for the closing game, Zambia cannot afford anything other than a win.
The locals expected in camp today are goalkeepers Danny Munyao and Toaster Nsabata while the defenders are Nyambe Mulenga, Donashano Malama, Christopher Munthali and Roderick Kabwe with the midfielders are Changwe Kalale, Bruce Musakanya, Charles Zulu, Spencer Sautu, and Shadreck Malambo.
Ronald Kampamba and Patrick Ngoma are the strikers.
The foreign legion has Mweene with defenders being Stoppila Sunzu, Davies Nkausu, Kabaso Chongo,  Aaron Katebe and Emmanuel Mbola.
The midfielders are Nathan Sinkala, Rainford Kalaba, Lubambo Musonda and Chisamba Lungu with the forwards being Emmanuel Mayuka, James Chamanga, Given Singuluma and Evans Kangwa.