Despite Zambia’s early elimination from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in the group stage, keeper Lawrence Mulenga, who, like the majority of the Chipolopolo Boys, was playing in the competition for the first time, believes he learned valuable lessons.
Mulenga only conceded one goal in each of Zambia’s three group F games at the tournament: 1-1 against DR Congo and Tanzania, and 1-0 against Morocco.
The 25-year-old Power Dynamos shot-stopper made a total of 11 saves, averaging 3.7 per 90 minutes in the competition.
Mulenga told Bolanews exclusively that his appearance at the Afcon has inspired him to work even harder and that he hopes to compete in the tournament again next year.
“[The Afcon] is a different kind of level I can’t even explain well,” he said. “It’s something that has motivated me to push hard and help me do better next time.
He added: “One of the positive things I picked is that, being at my first Afcon, I didn’t get to concede many goals; when we come back, I will concede even less or not at all.”
Focus now on club football
Mulenga, whose breakthrough with the national team came when he kept a clean sheet in a 3-0 win over Ivory Coast in the qualifiers to send Zambia to their first Afcon in eight years, says he is now targeting to help his club, Power Dynamos, retain the Zambian Super League.
He has kept five clean sheets in 18 matches for Power Dynamos so far this season.
Mulenga has undoubtedly cemented his place in the national team following the Afcon, despite Avram Grant admitting in December that the goalkeeping department was causing him headaches.
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