Forest Rangers head coach Mwenya Chipepo has revealed that the Ndola side is undergoing a squad rebuild.
Fole Malembe are currently in 11th place with 24 points from 20 matches in the 2023–24 Super League season.
Chipepo, who guided Power Dynamos to a league triumph last season, however, says his side still remains in contention for honors at the end of the season.
Forest Rangers recently unveiled seven players signed during the January transfer window.
“We are building a team, and at the same time, we are trying to make sure that at least we improve on the log,” Chipepo said. “We have new players; most of them are young players, which means we are building a team for next season.”
Mwenya also bemoaned the loss of some key players, especially versatile player Chitoshi Chinga and striker Moyela Libamba, who trekked to Nkana and Golden Arrows in the South African Premier Soccer League, respectively.
“We will miss them as they were part of the senior players, and they are good players. It is sad that we lost Chitoshi; of course there is nothing that we can do, and Libamba was scoring for us, but we will replace him with the striker who came from ZESCO,” he stated.
He stated that the departure of some players gives others an opportunity to get into the starting eleven.
“We have other players who are registered, so it is their chance now to start playing because they were sitting on the bench. If you have a chance, you have to use it,” Chipepo said.
Meanwhile, the gaffer has anticipated a tough match against Mutondo Stars, whom they are hosting this Saturday at Dola Hill Stadium in Ndola.
Mwenya eyes revenge over Mutondo Stars.
Mwenya adds that it will be important for his side to start the second phase of the league on a high note to improve their point tally and position on the table.
“We are playing Mutondo Stars at home, and they beat us 3-2 [in the reverse fixture]. It is not going to be easy. The second round is difficult, some teams are fighting for the league and others for relegation,” he said.
Mwenya targets breaking into the top half of the league by collecting maximum points against Mutondo Stars.
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“It’s very important to start on a good note. If you look at the position, we’re in, it’s not good. A win will boost our players morale, and with a win, we can go up 3–4 places, and a loss can also get us into the relegation zone,” he stated.
