•CHIPOLOPOLO players during Tuesday’s training session at Heroes National Stadium ahead of the Gabon 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier match against Kenya in Nairobi.
Picture courtesy of FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA

By SANDRA MWILA –
CHIPOLOPOLO striker Evans Kangwa and defender Emmanuel Mbola are a doubt for this weekend’s Gabon 2017 Africa Cup of Nations Group E qualifier against Kenya, in Nairobi.
With 24 hours left before the Chipolopolo depart for the crucial game, the Israel based duo by press time yesterday did not indicated when it would join camp despite playing for Hapoel Ra’anana on Saturday.
Mbola and Kangwa, who scored in Ra’anana 3-2 win over Bnei Sakhnin, are among the 13 professional players that coach ‘Chicken’ George Lwandamina has summoned for the Kenya clash.
Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) communication manager Nkweto Tembwe expressed hope that Mbola and Kangwa will join the rest of the team before flying out to Nairobi.
Tembwe said team manager Lusekelo Kamwambi was in constant communication with the players’ club despite them not joining camp yet.
“We are still hopeful that the Israel-based players will arrive, the team manager is the one who has been communicating with the clubs and we are expecting them,” Tembwe said.
However, Lwandamina said the team has enough depth to take on Kenya in an event Kangwa and Mbola fail to report.
“So far so good, the foreign and local players are combining well, the fitness levels are okay. I feel we have enough depth to cover for Evans and Mbola if they don’t come. We are dealing with humans, they need to jell with the team, others would not adapt in time while others would do well in the last two days,” Lwandamina said.
He was confident that Mbola and Kangwa would easily blend into the team even if they arrived late and added that the effort being put in by the players will help them achieve the desired result in Kenya.
“Our ultimate target is to win, we want to get a positive result we have been working tirelessly and I would like to reaffirm to the nation that the team will achieve a desired result,” Lwandamina said.
He singled out Collins Mbesuma as having come back to the team with a driving force and was ready for the challenge ahead.
“Mbesuma has come back with a driving force, he is ready for the challenge and I am sure he wants to do the country proud, “he said.
Lwandamina said there was stiff competition between the local and foreign based players which he described as good for the team.
“Competition has its own merits, it creates pressure which makes the players loosen up and fight for positions,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has named Sudanese referees to handle the match. Mutaz Khairalla will be the referee and will be assisted by Haitham Ahmed and Mohmood Ismael as the first and second assistant referees respectively.
Mohammed Abdallah will be the fourth official, while Asfaw Bergashaw from Ethiopia will be the match commissioner.
Zambia drew the first game 0-0 with Guinea Bissau while Kenya forced a 1-all draw away in Congo Brazzaville.