The Zambia National Team has left For Accra Ghana where they will set up base before the game against Nigeria for the crucial World Cup qualifiers taking place in Uyo on October 7.
According to the official FAZ Football Facebook page, Coach Wedson Nyirenda travelled in the first batch that had six players and some technical staff at 06:30 hours with the second batch on the 13:00 hours South African Airways flight.
The team will leave for Uyo Nigeria on Thursday for the Group B encounter.
Foreign based players are expected to join camp in Ghana after featuring for their clubs.
Nigeria leads Group B on 10 points while Zambia is second on seven points with Cameroon on three points while Algeria is stuck at the bottom with one point.
Two regular veterans continue to be overlooked by Nyirenda in particular the TP Mazembe duo of Rainford Kalaba and Nathan Sinkala who have yet again both been snubbed.
The duo was earlier also overlooked for the September 2 and 5 Group B dates against Algeria.
Overall, Nyirenda has kept faith in the same players who served him in well in the 3-1 home and 1-0 away Group B victories over Algeria last month.
All 11 foreign-based players will link up with their 12 home-based compatriots in Accra on Sunday and Monday.
Zambia is 2nd in Group B and three points behind Nigeria on 7 and 10 points from four games played.
Third placed Cameroon and bottom of the log Algeria are out of the race on 3 and 1 point respectively.
GOALKEEPERS: Kennedy Mweene (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Toaster Nsabata (Zanaco), Allan Chibwe (Power Dynamos)
DEFENDERS: Simon Silwimba, Fackson Kapumbu (both Zesco United), Adrian Chama (Green Buffaloes), Stoppilla Sunzu (Arsenal Tula, Russia), Ziyo Tembo (Zanaco), Isaac Shamujompa (Power Dynamos)
MIDFIELDERS: Chisamba Lungu (Alanyaspor, Turkey), Edward Chilufya (Djurgårdens, Sweden), Donashano Malama (Nkana), Kondwani Mtonga, Misheck Chaila (both Zesco United), Augustine Mulenga (Zanaco), Enock Mwepu (FC Liefering, Austria), Emmanuel Banda (KV Oostende, Belgium), Roderick Kabwe (Ajax Cape Town ,South Africa), Ernest Mbewe (Zanaco)
STRIKERS: Justin Shonga (Orlando Pirates, South Africa), Fashion Sakala (Spartak Moscow, Russia), Brian Mwila (Platinum Stars, South Africa), Patson Daka (Red Bull Salzburg, Austria).
Pep Guardiola has revealed he voted by post in Catalonia’s non-binding independence referendum, and praised the role of FC Barcelona in the expression of the region’s identity.
A vocally proud Catalan who has played for and managed the club, the 46-year-old Guardiola re-asserted the view that the vote wasn’t necessarily about separatism but about the people expressing their will.
“Barcelona were important because in the era of General Franco, our liberties were prohibited, when you couldn’t speak Catalan, when you couldn’t sing in Catalan, well, the stadium of Barca was a place where you could express what the people Catalonia wanted” Guardiola said.
“The Camp Nou was very important for this, like a lot of other institutions of Catalonia.
“But, I insist, tomorrow we don’t ask… we don’t vote on independence. Tomorrow, it’s not about independence, it’s about democracy, it’s about what the people want to vote for, in the parliament of Catalonia, they decided that the majority want to vote, whether they want to live their lives, their future, in another way. Because the times… what happened in the 20th century is different to what happens in the 21st century.
And the wishes of the people in the 21st century, our children, maybe are different to our parents, because things have changed, internet, society moves.
“So the Catalan people want to allow that the people speak, and by what better way than the ballot box?”
Asked whether he would vote, Guardiola said: “I’ll vote, by post.”
Antonio Conte says he left Victor Moses out of Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester City to rest the player rather than any tactical reason.
The champions’ squad depth has been a recurring issue out of what was a frustrating transfer window for the Italian, and Conte also admitted that his more defensive performance against Pep Guardiola’s team – was partly down to trying to manage the more congested schedule.
Conte also said that schedule was on his mind when he decided to risk Alvaro Morata for the game, even though the Spanish striker eventually had to go off after 36 minutes with a hamstring concern. Conte later stated that the forward’s injury was not “serious”, even though he is unlikely to play for Spain in next week’s two international matches.
“To play three games in seven days is not simple, above all for our wing-backs,” Conte said. “Moses played two whole games against Stoke [City] and Atletico, [Marcos] Alonso played one and a half games, because against Stoke I changed him after 10 minutes. Then you have to try to not put your difficulty players in difficulty, and not to risk this type of player, because Moses for us is an important player, and to play three games in only seven days, it means that you risk.
“I think you know very well that Manchester City is a really good team. We have to try to send out the best formation in type of game. Its very difficult to put young players into this type of game.
Also because when there are these massive games you have to try to make the best decisions. To try to send out the best players to play this game.
The players were the same players that played against Atletico Madrid and apart from that, Moses. We also put in [Antonio] Rudiger.”
“I am proud to be the coach of these players. I see the commitment every day, but for sure to defend the title is very difficult it is very difficult for every team in this league. To defend – it is very difficult to win two titles in a row. Our motivation has to be high in every competition, to do the best in every game. The sometimes you must accept, must understand, it will not always go to plan.
[Italy] was a completely different situation because we won the title with Juventus and I was expecting a really strong challenge from AC Milan, but instead they sold Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to Paris St Germain, so they became weaker. It wasn’t simple second time, but it was easier. Here, from last season to this season, you have big teams – and now they are bigger.”
Conte also revealed that he will go home to Italy for the international break. “To be sure, I need a bit of rest.”
A brace each by Rasheedat Ajibade and Folashade Ijamilusi and a goal each by Imo Anam and Cynthia Aku steered the Nigeria U20 women team to a 6-0 win over their Tanzanian counterparts in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.
