• FLASHBACK….ZAMBIA Under-20 striker Patrick Ngoma (centre) being pursued by his Malawian marker Boston Kabango (right) during the Senegal 2015 Africa Youth Championship qualifier at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka. Picture by STEPHEN KAPAMBWE.

By MOSES CHIMFWEMBE –
ZAMBIA Under-20 coach Hector Chilombo says his side is ready to face any opponents as the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) today conducts draws for the Senegal 2015 Africa Youth Championship.
CAF will also do the draws for the Africa Junior Championship with Zambia Under-17 coach Chris Kaunda expecting a tough draw for the tournament to be held in Niger from February 15 to March 1.
The continental motherbody will conduct the draws simultaneously at its headquarters in Cairo today.
For the Africa Youth Championship slated for March 8-22, the Zambia Under-20 side faces the prospects of meeting hosts Senegal, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and South Africa.
But Chilombo yesterday said that he was not afraid to face the teams in the contest because his side was equally strong to win the title.
The 2014 COSAFA Youth Championship winning coach said the fear factor was none existent in his team as the players were eager to face any opponents.
“The standards that our football has reached are very high and I think we are ready to face any opponents on the continent. As the draws will be conducted tomorrow (today), we are not praying for a favourable draw because we can play any of the teams in the tournament and win,” he said.
Chilombo said modern football was not determined by names but on the pitch and that he was wary of what his team can do on the field of play.
“Modern football is not determined by names but on the pitch and I know what we are capable of doing on the pitch. So we have no reason to fear any team but once the draws are conducted, we will then know which countries to target for friendly games,” Chilombo said.
In a separate interview, Kaunda said he was calm ahead of the draws today where his side could face hosts Niger, Cameroun, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria and South Africa.
“We have always been ready to face any team, whether weak or strong and of the teams that qualified for the championship, Zambia is one the best. The players were excellent throughout the qualifiers and the boys showed quality and determination to aim for the best results,” he said.
Kaunda said winning the championship will mean Zambia has to beat the best teams taking part in the tournament.
“If we are to meet our target of winning the championship, beating the best team will be the first step,” Kaunda said.
The teams that will reach the semi-finals during the two championships will automatically qualify for the 2015 FIFA Under-20 World Cup and FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Chile and New Zealand respectively.