Africa-Press – Zambia. Chipolopolo and Amazulu forward Augustine Mulenga says they are looking forward to defending their COSAFA Cup title next week in South Africa. Mulenga, who missed the June friendly tour of Senegal, Benin and Sudan, said together with all his teammates who missed last month’s assignments are looking forward to doing their bit at the COSAFA Cup that South Africa is hosting from July 6-18 at Nelson Mandela Bay.
“When you are a champion, you look forward to defending the trophy and when everyone is going to the tournament with a mindset of defending the trophy well and good and I am sure we are going to do well,” Mulenga said.
And Chipolopolo got a boost on Tuesday when Mulenga together with fellow South African-based midfielder Roderick Kabwe of demoted Black Leopards joined camp and trained for the second full day on Thursday.
The duos presence brings to six foreign-based call-ups in the team with only goalkeepers Kennedy Mweene and Mwenya Chibwe of Mamelodi Sundowns and Polokwane City respectively expected to link-up with the team in South Africa.
So far in camp are SuperSport United striker Gamphani Lungu, Polokwane midfielder Salulani Phiri and Cape Town City forward Justin Shonga. Goalkeeper Bradley Mweene of Portuguese fourth tier club AD Sanjoanense is the other oversea player in camp.
But of the overseas call-ups, only Salulani and Chibwe made the June tour. Meanwhile, Zambia on Wednesday beat FAZ National Division 1 club City of Lusaka 3-1 in a training game that saw Kabwe Warriors midfielder Prince Mumba score a brace while Mulenga netted the other goal.
Chipolopolo are in Group B at the 2021 COSAFA Cup and will play Madagascar, Malawi and Comoros. Zambia will kick-off its COSAFA Cup defence on July 7 against Comoros.
