Zambia Under-23 national team kicks off its All Africa Games football tournament on Tuesday when they face Guinea in the two team’s opening Group B fixture at Kolea.
While Zambia had a smooth qualifying process to the tournament in their two zone 6 qualifying games beating Mozambique 4-0 away and 3-2 in the final return leg in Lusaka on the teams way to booking its flight to Algiers.
Unlike their Under-20 counter-parts who have enjoyed a month-long training camp excursion in Western Europe on their way to the Canada Fifa Under-20 World Cup, Peter Kaumba’s team has not enjoyed any luxury of the sort.
The team camped for barely 48 hours prior to departure for Algeria and two-thirds of the squad were involved in league action on the eve of departure in Week 19 fixtures on July 2.
And so with little build-up practice, Kaumba’s men embark on a quest to try and show the relevance and potential of a hugely ignored team.
In a meeting that will be first between these two sides at Under-23 level, Kaumba is set to miss the services of influential Zesco United playmaker Rainford Kalaba.
Kalaba, who is currently on trial at French Ligue 2 club Chateauroux, will not be available for the Guinea game due to suspension sustained in the final leg qualifier against Mozambique on April 14.
However Kaumba will have available key strikers Felix Nsunzu and Given Singuluma of Konkola Blades and South Africa division 2 club Bay United respectively.
Nsunzu and Singuluma have been Kaumba’s attacking mainstay’s with 6 and 7 goals in a total of seven Under 23 outings since the team was constituted last October.
The two strikers will be carrying the burden of an unfenced side that will also be without the services of the talented teenage defensive midfielder Stophira Nsunzu who is with the Under 20 team in Canada.
A victory for Zambia on Tuesday against Guinea will be great boost ahead of their big meeting against arch-enemy Egypt on Friday in their penultimate game in Group B at the same venue.
Meanwhile, Egypt face Algeria on Tuesday in their opening Group B match at Blida.
