. Simukonda

By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –
THE Zambia Under-23 side this morning kick-start preparations for the 2015 African Under-23 Championship to be staged in Senegal in November.
Zambia qualified to the tournament after seeing off Ivory Coast.
Fighton Simukonda’s men will camp for a week in Lusaka to begin fine-tuning for the African Championship.
The top three sides from the Senegal championship will qualify to the Rio De Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games, a feat Zambia has not achieved since the famous 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
Simukonda called 25 local players who will later be joined by a legion of foreign-based players ahead of the tournament.
Zambia was placed in Group A with host country, Senegal, South Africa and North African rival, Tunisia.
Simukonda has included Noble Ramsey, a key feature in most preparations but misses out on the final team.
Also recalled to national duty are Power Dynamos’ Julius Situmbeko and Godfrey Ngwenya of Kabwe Warriors.
Ngwenya is among the three Warriors players in the provisional squad although Power has six players with Red Arrows contributing five.
Zambia will kick off the Senegal tournament with a game against Tunisia on November 28 before facing South Africa on December 1 and then end the group stage against hosts Senegal on December 4.
The full Zambian squad has goalkeepers Toaster Nsabata (Zanaco), Kenny Mumba (Red Arrows) and Lawrence Mulenga (Kabwe Warriors);
Defenders are Kapota Kayawe (Nkana), Boyd Mkandawire (Napsa Stars), Solomon Sakala (Kabwe Warriors), Bernard Mapili (Zesco United), Billy Mutale (Power Dynamos), Benedict Chepeshi (Red Arrows) and Mweene Mumbi (Green Buffaloes);
Midfielders are Paul Katema, Shadreck Malambo and Bruce Musakanya (All from Red Arrows)and Benson Sakala, Julius Situmbeko and Larry Bwalya (Power Dynamos), Jack Chirwa (Green Buffaloes), Salulani Phiri (Zanaco), John Ching’andu (Zesco United), Jacob Ngulube (Mufulira Wanderers) and Godfrey Ngwenya (Kabwe Warriors);
Strikers are Noble Ramsey and Patson Daka(Power Dynamos), Moses Phiri (Zanaco) and Friday Samu (Green Buffaloes).
Meanwhile, as Zambia Under-20 women coach Oswald Mutapa sweats on the fitness of defender Elizabeth Nachivula, South Africa have started plotting for this Sunday’s 2016 Papua New Guinea FIFA Under-20 Championship qualifier in Lusaka.
South Africa, who are haunted by Zambia knocking them out at the final stage on the road to the Costa Rica FIFA Under-17 World Cup two years ago, are leaving no stone unturned.
According to the South Africa Football Association website, 24 players have been summoned to prepare for Zambia.
Having come into this stage after a 9-1 demolition of neighbours Botswana, coach Elisabeth Migchelsen has kept the bulk of the team.
Migchelsen will trim the side to 20 ahead of the trip to Zambia on Thursday.
Nachivula injured herself during the Zambia Under-20 women team’s practice match against Chibolya Academy.
As South Africa were winning 9-1 on aggregate, Zambia brushed Tanzania aside with a 4-0 aggregate to set up a tie between the same players that met at under-17 level two years ago which Zambia won 6-4 on aggregate.