Zambia Under-20 defender Milimo Nalumango says the team has attributed Sunday’s goalless draw against Sierra Leone at the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to stage fright.
The Young Chipolopolo Boys opened their Group A campaign with a goalless draw against the debuting Shooting Stars and will now shift their attention to the match against Egypt this Saturday.
Nalumango said the draw was an eye-opener of what to expect during the tournment.
“It was a good icebreaker into the tournament. Like, we now know what to expect, the kind of pressure we’re going to face on the pitch. So going forward, we should expect a lot more and provide a lot more coming from us,” Naluman
go said.
The towering defender states that playing with the host team will be tough. He, however, believes it is an opportunity to show intent to progress further in the tournament.
“There’s definitely pressure that comes with it. Playing against the host nation is now an opportunity to make a statement as to how we’ll approach the tournament. It’s definitely going to be a tough game, but a good game as well,” Nalumango stated.
Nalumango is optimistic the team will overcome stage fright in the next match.
“There was a lot of stage fright on the pitch. The nerves hit us, being the opening game of the tournament, the first game being played. There There’s definitely a lot of nerves. I think we had certain amounts of doubt in each other. But, as the tournament progresses, I think these are things we can use to get over.”
READ ALSO: “Go There And Fight” – Chiyangi Commands His Players Ahead Of Warriors Fixture.