Zambia's U-23 Preps Hit Snag?

ZAMBIA's preparations for next weekend's Athens Olympics under-23 soccer qualifier against Ghana are in disarray after only one of the 28 players called reported for training in Kitwe yesterday.

Defender Terence Mpundu was the only player at the Kitwe United camp-house where the team will be staying until departure for Lusaka next week.

Zanaco and Power Dynamos players have however, been excused from joining camp until Sunday after the Mosi Cup final on Saturday in Kitwe.

The players should have reported to camp at 12:30 hours yesterday but by 16:00hours, only Mpundu, a Kitwe United mid-season signee from Chambishi had arrived.

Not even the FAZ bus, which should have brought the Midlands-based players had arrived, raising suspicions it was a FAZ communication problem that caused the hitch.

FAZ officials said the association might have been busy laying a red carpet for the under-20 squad that returned from South Africa yesterday after winning the Vodacom Cosafa youth title.

Head coach Peter Kaumba, his assistant Simataa Simataa, team manager Lusekelo Kamwambi or even other Kitwe and Copperbelt-based players had not been to the camp house by the stipulated time.

The under-23s are preparing for a must-win match against Ghana in the second Olympics qualifier group stage.

Zambia lost 1-0 to Algeria in the first group match in October and a win against Ghana will do the contingent a lot of good in terms of morale in the marathon qualifying series.