THE inclusion of promising talent like Lubambo Musonda, Spencer Sautu, Changwe Kalale and Patrick Ngoma in the Chipolopolo squad to do battle in the two crucial 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers is the way to go.
Zambia will face Mozambique away this Saturday in the penultimate Group F qualifier before wrapping up with Cape Verde on November 19 in Ndola.
Coach Honour Janza deserves commendation on this one as these youngsters want to make a statement for Zambia and are hungry for success.
We will be doing ourselves a disservice as a nation if we will always be banking on some of the old players who have nothing more to prove to Zambia.
It is an open secret that some of our players who delivered the historic AFCON trophy in 2012 were becoming complacent since they begun to think they were the only ones who can don national colours.
Therefore, the gradual fusing in of some new players, who also want to leave their marks in the annals of Zambian football, is a progressive way of ensuring the Chipolopolo remains a formidable side.
From the 2012 AFCON squad, I know for sure that the likes of Rainford Kalaba, Nathan Sinkala, Kennedy Mweene, Stoppila Sunzu and Chisamba Lungu still have a lot of offer to the local sport but now need to be blended with these puny youngsters.
Janza also did well to recall Israel-based striker, Evans Kangwa, who is enjoying some rich vein of form, and Nkana hotshot, Ronald Kampamba.
It is time that national team coaches started appreciating some of these players who are doing well at their respective clubs but due to unknown reasons they are usually snubbed when it comes to national duty.
Zambia needs to win against Mozambique this Saturday in Maputo to almost certain confirm the 2015 AFCON finals ticket.
But to do so, we need players who are ready to ‘die a little’ for mother Zambia and not those who will take such important assignments as if it is just ‘business as usual.’
Janza needs to give only those players, who will show the hunger to deliver, a chance to don the Chipolopolo jersey.
However, I believe Janza will make the right choices for these two crucial qualifiers and stir Zambia to the 2015 AFCON finals. For comments email: malungaf@gmail.com