FIVE OUT OF CHIPOLOPOLO SQUAD

By Chansa Kunda-

Five players that were scheduled to be part of the Chipolopolo Squad for the upcoming 2023, AFCON qualifier fixtures against Ivory Coast and Comoros will not be available due to various reasons.

The five are 2012 AFCON winning duo KENNEDY MWEENE, STOPPILLA SUNZU while others are CLATOUS CHAMA, AUGUSTINE MULENGA and AIME MABIKA.

Chipolopolo Coach AIJOSA ASANOVIC says the players who were set to be part of the 25 member squad for the back-to-back games, have been excluded citing injury, covid-19 restrictions and club commitments among others.

ASANOVIC says CLATOUS CHAMA and AUGUSTINE MULENGA are unavailable due to injury.

He says Goalkeeper KENNEDY MWEENE indicated he could only be available after June 3rd owing to club commitments, while Defender STOPPILLA SUNZU’s Club Shijiazhuang Ever Bright said they could not release the player owing to the Covid-19 instigated lockdown.

In an interview with the FAZ Media team, ASANOVIC said he has also put aside
Inter Miami defender, AIME MABIKA whose clearance has stalled owing to the stringent process applied by the government.

The Coach said the team will be ready but what is needed is focus and to play the game at a higher level.

Zambia will battle Ivory Coast on June 3rd in an away fixture before hosting the Comoros Islands four days later at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka.

Meanwhile Shepolopolo coach BRUCE MWAPE has named a 31-member provisional squad to start preparations for the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations -AWCON- to be held in Morocco in July.

Of the 31, five are foreign based players among the goalkeeper HAZEL NALI based in Turkey, Spain-based striker RACHAEL KUNDANANJI and GRACE CHANDA of Kazakhstan.

The team that has already played two international friendly games with Botswana is expected to hold an international camp prior to the- Africa Women’s Cup of Nations.

The Africa Women’s Cup of Nations will run from July 2nd to 23rd 2022.

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