Chipolopolo coach Avram Grant has said there is still hope for players who were left out of the latest squad when he makes the final selection for the World FIFA Cup qualifiers.
Zambia will this month play Zimbabwe at the Four Nations tournament in Malawi, with an eye on the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Morocco and Tanzania in June.
While he has named the core of the team that played at the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON), he has left out some notable names like Fashion Sakala, Kings Kangwa, Kelvin Kapumbu, Kelvin Kampamba and Edward Chilufya.
Goalkeeper Francis Mwansa is also not part of the team.
Although Grant has not provided a comprehensive justification for the players’ exclusion, he has stated that the door is still open to any player who demonstrates their worth ahead of the qualifiers.
“It will not be the final squad, players that are not here will come back,” he said in an interview yesterday. “The national team is open for every player that proves themselves that they have the quality and the other things.”
He has challenged those who have been handed call-ups to justify their inclusion.
“[To] the players that have come for the first time, you are here because you deserve a chance so take the chance and who knows, maybe you will have a place in the national team.”
READ MORE: Kenya calls Zambian Super League players for four-nation tourney with Zambia and co.
