Zambia Under-23 National Team coach Oswald Mutapa yesterday named his final 18-member squad for this Saturday’s TotalEnergies2023 Morocco U-23 Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON) qualifier against Sierra Leone comprising only local-based players.
All the foreign-based youngsters who made the shortlist in the provisional squad have been dropped.
The football association of Zambia(FAZ) in a statement on Tuesday, explained that the foreign-based players could not make the final squad because the qualifiers are not being played in a FIFA window.
“Foreign-based players summoned for international duty could not honour the call-up given that the match falls outside the FIFA window,” read the statement.
The players include red-hot Italian Serie A’s Lecce FC winger Lameck Banda, Prince Mumba of NK Istra in Croatia, Miguel Chaiwa of Switzerland giants BSC Young Boys and Golden Mafwenta of Real Monarchs in the United States.
Others are Manchester City FC young defender Jade Katongo, Cardiff City striker Chanka Zimba who is currently on loan to Newport County and Italy-based midfielder Mannah Chiwisa who plays for Atlanta FC.
With the squad now all local, coach Mutapa will count on Zambian Super League youngsters in Napsa stars FC forward Jimmy Mukeya, Nkana’s Patrick Gondwe and Joshua Mutale of Power Dynamos to lead the team with 2022 Cosafa Under-20 Best Goalkeeper of the tournament Jeban Tembo also included in the squad.
Zambia will take on Sierra Leone this Saturday before hosting the West Africans in Lusaka for the return leg.
The winner over the two legs will qualify for the final round that will be played in March 2023 and will face Egypt or the winner between Botswana and Eswatini.
The U-23 AFCON is set to be held in Morocco in June 2023 and will serve as a qualifying tournament for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics as Zambia will look to qualify for the global multisport event for the first time in 34 years.
