Zambia's Miguel Chaiwa close to UEFA Champions League dream

(Picture via BSC YOUNG BOYS)

Zambian international Miguel Chaiwa played in the UEFA Champions League playoffs for BSC Young Boys, who drew 0-0 against Maccabi Haifa in the first leg on Wednesday night.

The 19-year-old defensive midfielder played the final 20 minutes of the game, making three recoveries and one crucial clearance for his team.

The second leg is set for next Tuesday in Bern, and if the Swiss champions win, they will qualify for the Champions League group stage.

Das Hinspiel der Champions-League-Playoffs zwischen Maccabi Haifa und YB endet 0:0. Am kommenden Dienstag kommt es in Bern zum Rückspiel. Die Young Boys zeigten defensiv eine sehr solide Leistung.#BSCYB #MACYB pic.twitter.com/P52ZG9qtKs
— BSC YOUNG BOYS (@BSC_YB) August 23, 2023

However, if they fail to win the second leg, they will be relegated to the UEFA Europa League. The Champions League group stage draw will take place on Thursday, August 31, in Monaco.

Should Young Boys qualify, Chaiwa could become the latest Zambian to play in the European elite interclub competition’s group stage.

Patson Daka and Enock Mwepu were the last Zambians to accomplish the feat while at Red Bull Salzburg.

1 – Salzburg's Patson Daka is the first player from Zambia to score a goal in the Champions League, the 103rd nation to provide a goalscorer in the competition. Chipolopolo. pic.twitter.com/jvdvAyeEaK
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 27, 2019

In 2019, Daka scored against Genk, becoming the first Zambian player to score in the competition’s group stage.

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Chaiwa will look to impress, make an appearance in the group stage, and/or score for his team.

Calvin Kaumba Chikenge August 24, 2023

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Calvin Kaumba Chikenge is an award-winning Zambian multimedia sports journalist well known for his exclusive stories and feature writing. He was voted 2023/24 MTN/FAZ Super League journalist of the year. In addition to reporting on sports for Spring TV, he interned for the Zambia Daily Mail newspaper. He is the current Ballon d'Or juror and has contributed to numerous international publications, including the Guardian in the UK, and is the editor of BolaNews.