Africa-Press – Zambia. STRIKER Fashion Sakala and midfielder Kings Kangwa are among the notable absentees in the 24 – man team called by Chipolopolo coach Avram Grant ahead of Zambia’s participation in the 4-team tournament in Malawi.
Zambia will this month travel to Malawi to face that country, Kenya and Zimbabwe in the international friendly tournament as the team shapes up for the world cup qualifiers set for June. Zambia is set to play Morocco and Tanzania as they look to pump some life in their quest to qualify to the 2026 World Cup.
Grant has included the core of the team that played at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast but there are some notable names missing from the team among them Sakala, Kangwa and goalkeeper Francis Mwansa.
Sakala and Kangwa were among the under performers at AfCON but Grant could not state the reason why the two have been left out of the crucial preparatory matches.
“I don’t speak about players that are not in the squad, i need to give respect. There will always be questions about players that are not in the squad.
“I want to try other thing and other players and i think we need to give respect to the squad…there is a different reason to each one of them,” Grant said at a briefing today.
Grant qualified his decision by stating that the national team is not a closed club. “You can go out from the national team, and you can come out…everything is based about the criteria that I use to choose the team,” Grant said.
Grant said the tournament is important as the team prepares for the June engagements. “It will very tough in June but I am positive about this. This tournament is very important for the preparations,” he said, “it will be a good test teams in Africa are improving everyday,”
The Team (GOALKEEPERS) Lawrence Mulenga (Power Dynamos), Charles Kalumba (Red Arrows), Toaster Nsabata (Zesco United) (DEFENDERS) Benedict Chepeshi (Red Arrows), Zepheniah Phiri (Prison Leopards), Stoppilla Sunzu (Cangzhou Mighty Lions-China), Frankie Musonda (AYR United-Scotland), Dominic Chanda (Power Dynamos), Gift Mphande (Hapoel Rishon Lezion FC-Israel), Kebson Kamanga (Red Arrows)
(MIDFIELDERS)
Benson Sakala (Mlada Boleslav-Czech Republic), Lubambo Musonda (Sikebord IF-Denmark), Miguel Chaiwa Club Schaffhausen-Switzerland), Emmanuel Banda (Club Rijeka-Croatia), Frederick Mulambia, Joshua Mutale (both Power Dynamos), Clatous Chama (Simba SC-Tanzania), Abraham Siankombo (Zesco United), Obinno Chisala (Costa Do Sol-Mozambique)
(STRIKERS)
Patson Daka (Leicester City-England), Kennedy Musonda (Young Africans-Tanzania), Andrew Phiri (Muza FC), Golden Mashata (Green Buffaloes), Lameck Banda (Lecce-Italy)
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