. Chilombo

By GWEN CHIPASULA  –
ZAMBIA Under-20 soccer coach Hector Chilombo has named a 30-member provisional squad for the 2015 Africa Youth Championship set for Senegal next month.
The squad, which kicked-off preparations at Independence Stadium in Lusaka yesterday, will be joined by an exciting pair of foreign-based players Lubambo Musonda and Saith Sakala.
Chilombo said he would be assessing the level of fitness of the players in camp after an off season break.
“We called in 30 players and so far we have been training with 22 of them because some like those from Zesco who are in Swaziland and Power Dynamos who are in Sudan have not reported yet”. He said.
Chilombo said Sakala and Musonda were expected join camp  next week alongside Larry Bwalya from Power Dynamos and the Red Arrows trio of Benedict Chepeshi, Patrick Ngoma and Peter Mulenga.
The final 21-member squad for the Senegal 2015 Africa Youth Championship set for March 8- 22, will be unveiled on March 4.
Zambia has been placed in Group B along with Ghana, Mali and South Africa.
The junior Chipolopolo will opening the campaign against Mali on March 9 at Caroline Faye Stadium before facing Ghana on March 12 at the same venue.
Zambia’s final group stage match will be against South Africa at the Leopald Senghor Stadium on March 15.
The group winners and runners-up from each group will qualify for the semi-finals.
Zambia’s provisional squad has:
Goalkeepers – Mangani Banda (Zanaco), Tresford Lawrence Mulenga ( Kabwe Warriors), Ezron Zulu ( Zesco Victorial Falls), Geoffrey Silavwe (Green Buffaloes);
Defenders – Paul Phiri (Kalulushi Modern Stars), Peter Mulenga (Red Arrows), Boyd Mkandawire (Napsa Stars), Simon Tembo (Kabwe Warriors), Mweene Mumbi (ASD Cape Town, South Africa), Kayawe Kapota (Nkana), Benedict Chepeshi (Red Arrows);
Midfielders – Langson Mbewe (Kabwe Warriors), Larry Bwalya (Power Dynamos), George Mandu (Red Arrows), Juma Thomas Mutale (Mufulira Wanderers), Lubambo Musonda(Ulisses, Armenia), Spencer Sautu (Green Eagles), Kelvin Chinyama (Nkana), Austin Muwowo (Nkana), Charles Yande Shezongo (Napsa Stars), Paul Mwelwa (Napsa Stars), Harrison Chisala Musonda (Nkana), Godfrey Ngwenya (Kabwe Warriors), Mwansa Nsofwa (Kabwe Warriors);
Strikers – Patrick Ngoma (Red Arrows), Saith Sakala(Hapoel Ra’anana, Israel), Charles Zulu (Zanaco) and Dave Daka (Zanaco).