By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –
MULTI-TALENTED athlete, Rachael Nachula has been ruled out of Zambia’s 2015 All Africa Games football qualifier against Tanzania because of her busy athletics schedule.
Nachula, who is also the Zambian 100 metres athletics champion, was drafted in the senior national women’s team after impressing Green Buffaloes.
Shepolopolo team manager, Besa Chibwe  said yesterday that Nachula had been excused as she was also in camp for an athletics programme at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) in Lusaka.
“Rachael Nachula will not be part of this game against Tanzania. She is in camp with the athletes at OYDC, so she will be considered for future matches. Otherwise camping is progressing and team is shaping up well,” she said.
The absence of Nachula means that the Albert Kachinga-trained side has lost two players to athletics with the other being Captain Kabange Mupopo who could be a long term loss for Zambian women football.
Mupopo is also an African champion in the 400 metres flat and has just began an 18-month National Olympic Committee (NOC) scholarship for the 2016 Olympic Games and will be based at the OYDC.
Chibwe also said under-17 goalkeeper, Hazel Nali, who was the only player missing from camp, was expected to link up with her colleagues today.
“Hazel Nali had to report this late because she needed to get permission from school to come and join the rest in camp. But otherwise, all have been done and she should be joining us on Friday,” Chibwe said.
She expressed happiness with the team spirit shown by the players in camp, stating that they would soon be ready for the Tanzania clash.
Last year, Zambia played Tanzania in the qualifiers for the 2014 Africa Women Championship.
Zambia went through 3-2 on aggregate with Helen Mubanga scoring a goal in each leg and is available for this outing.