Brian Mwila is among the 25 players that coach Avram Grant has called for the back-to-back Group E matches against Congo Brazzaville and Niger.

Nyirenda said in an interview with Bolanews that Mwila’s call-up to the national team was not a surprise, given the player’s hard work and dedication. 

“If there is somebody who knew that this day would come, it is me, I had no doubt. I have been talking about it even before it happened,” Nyirenda said. 

Nyirenda said that since losing his place in the national team, Mwila has worked hard to regain full fitness and make himself available for selection.

“He had lost a little bit of his fitness when he came in [at Zanaco]. We had been working on one or two things on him and it has worked here and Brian has been called back to the national team,” Nyirenda, who is also a former Chipolopolo coach, said. 

Mwila has managed to find the back of the net four times in the last five games for Zanaco, something that has caught the attention of Grant. 

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He has never been anywhere near the national team since 2021 when he was an unused substitute during the 2022 World Cup qualifier against Equatorial Guinea at the National Heroes Stadium. 

Nyirenda backed Mwila to shine. 

“I have no doubt that given a chance, Brian can pull up a big surprise and come back to his international scoring ways,” he said.