The Zambia National Team entered camp on Thursday in Johannesburg, South Africa, ahead of the June 17 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Ivory Coast at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
Yesterday, Patson Daka (Leicester), Lameck Banda (Lecce), Frankie Musonda (AYR United), and Golden Mafwenta (MFK Vyskov) were the latest arrivals. China-based defender Stopilla Sunzu has yet to join the rest of the squad.
The Jinan Xingzhou center-back has left fans wondering why he is delaying to report to camp.
The 33-year-old last played for Zambia in a 2021 Cameroon Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Algeria in Blida.
Earlier last year, Sunzu was unable to honor another national team call-up, for a friendly encounter against Israel. The 2012 AFCON winner cited Covid-19 travel restrictions in China as the reason for his unavailability for the match.
He was recalled again for the game against the Comoros Islands on June 7, 2022, in which Zambia won 2-1 in Lusaka, but he failed to report to camp and gave the same reason.
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Meanwhile, the Football Association of Zambia has exclusively revealed to BolaNews that “Sunzu has a game on June 10 and his arrival is dependent on that.”
He has a lot of experience in the national team setup, having earned his first cap in 2008.
Should he report for camp, he stands out as an ideal candidate to also take over the armband.
Sunzu’s experience at the back could be very vital in laying the foundation for the younger center-backs like Frankie Musonda.
