Chipolopolo defender Gift Mphande believes being part of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) squad will benefit his career, regardless of whether he plays or not.
Mphande is part of Avram Grant’s final 27-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.
The former Athletico Lusaka defender was an unused substitute in Tuesday’s 1-1 pre-AFCON friendly match between Cameroon and Zambia.
The former Zambia U23 defender, who in August last year joined Israel’s second-tier side Rishon Lezion on a season-long loan with the option for a permanent deal, has yet to play for the senior team.
Mpande tells BolaNews that being on the national team is enough for him to learn from the senior players.
“In football, every chance you get, you have to respect it, whether for five or fewer minutes. Whether I am given a chance to play at the Afcon or not, I will still rally behind the team,” said Mphande.
“From the senior players, we get experience……. And the advice they give us helps us grow in our career because they have been in the game longer than us.”
The 20-year-old defender stated that the team’s goal is to reach the AFCON final.
“We have experienced players, and though football is won on the pitch, we will respect our opponents. For now, we will concentrate on working hard on the pitch so that we go past the group stage and make it to the final of the competition. All we need is to work as a team.”
Chipolopolo’s first match at the tournament will be against DR Congo on Wednesday next week. They will four days later clash with Tanzania in San Pedro.
They will conclude their Group F fixtures against 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup semifinalists Morocco on January 24.
