By MOSES CHIMFWEMBE –
NEWLY promoted MTN-FAZ Premier League side, Forest Rangers has beefed up its squad by recruiting eight players ahead of the 2015 soccer season that kicks off next month.
The eight players include striker Laurent Muma, who joins the Ndola outfit from demoted Roan United together with midfielder Joseph Kamalondo.
Others are defenders White Songwe, Moses Soko, Rex Nkhata and Douglas Muwowo from Chingola Leopards, Kalulushi Modern Stars, National Assembly and Lime Hotspurs respectively.
The rest are striker Jeff Sikapita and Logic Ching’andu from Division One teams Prison Leopards and Gomes.
Club vice chairperson Christine Mwale said yesterday that the move was aimed at beefing up the current team in readiness for the new soccer season.
“In our efforts to ensure that Forest remains in the top flight football, we have decided to make additions to the team and the new players that come in are outright purchases on long term contracts.
“On whether we will be making high profile transfers or not is subject to confirmation but for now these are the players we have signed. The team will next week travel to Mongu to work on the fitness levels,” Mwale said.
Meanwhile, Forest head coach Dabid Chilufya has said he will assemble a formidable squad that will compete favourably in Zambia’s top flight football.
Chilufya, who was appointed to the Forest job last month on season long contract, said his prime target was to come up with a strong team and ensure that their fitness aspect was worked on.
“We have a number of players from the Division One League sides and there need to change their thinking for them to reach Premier League standards. Besides that, we need to beef up the team by ensuring that we have the right players in players in place, experience is important,” he said.