Lusaka, Zambia, August 28: Zambia under-20 Coach, Hector Chilombo has declared that his team is gunning for a World Cup finals slot as it hosts rivals Malawi at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka in the return leg of Africa Youth Championship.
Zambia shocked Malawi 2-1 at its own backyard in Blantyre when the two sides clashed in the first leg encounter last round qualifiers for Senegal 2015 a fortnight ago.
Chilombo declared early this week in a newspaper interview that his charges are ready and poised for a final kill and will not give their sworn rivals a room to manoeuvre.
“We are ready and want to qualify and we are one step to Senegal after the boys got that vital win in Malawi,” declared Chilombo.
However, he said this declaration does not imply that his team has already crossed the bridge following their victory in Malawi but will still strive to get a result during the Saturday encounter.
He said he will do this with his sights set towards fulfilling his burning wish to get a World Cup finals slot.
“We are not looking at the 2-1 lead we are carrying but focussed on winning the match to get us the qualification.
My target is going beyond the Africa Youth Championship as I want to take my boys to the World Cup finals,” he explained.
Zambia shocked Malawi 2-1 at its own backyard in Blantyre when the two sides clashed in the first leg encounter last round qualifiers for Senegal 2015 a fortnight ago.
Chilombo declared early this week in a newspaper interview that his charges are ready and poised for a final kill and will not give their sworn rivals a room to manoeuvre.
“We are ready and want to qualify and we are one step to Senegal after the boys got that vital win in Malawi,” declared Chilombo.
However, he said this declaration does not imply that his team has already crossed the bridge following their victory in Malawi but will still strive to get a result during the Saturday encounter.
He said he will do this with his sights set towards fulfilling his burning wish to get a World Cup finals slot.
“We are not looking at the 2-1 lead we are carrying but focussed on winning the match to get us the qualification.
My target is going beyond the Africa Youth Championship as I want to take my boys to the World Cup finals,” he explained.
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As such the Junior Chipolopolo boys will take the fight to the Junior Flames who have shown that they are good travellers as far as this tournament is concerned.
Previously during the first preliminary encounters, the Junior Flames drew 1-1 with Botswana in Blantyre and demolished the Tswanas 2-0 away in Gaborone.
Again in the second preliminary games against the Democratic Republic of Congo the first leg encounter ended in a 1-1 stalemate but the return leg ended 2-0 in Malawi’s favour.
So the Junior Chipolopolo mentor has good reasons to tread cautiously when the two sides take to the turf particularly with the peculiar record the Junior Flames have shown in this tournament.
“I know Malawi will want to do everything to upset tables but the boys [Junior Chipolopolo] are aware that Saturday is marked for victory and will not take any chances,” declared Chilombo.
But his counterpart, Ernest Mtawali is not taking things lying down; he said last week that his side is not completely out of contention declaring that they will fight tooth and nail to get a result in Lusaka.
“We need to wake up and we’re going to do just that. I know my players are capable and we are going to get a result in Zambia,” he said.
However, Mtawali acknowledged that it will not be a cakewalk to get the required result acknowledging that his boys will need to engage an extra gear to dismantle the Junior Chipolopolo.
“It will take a lot of hard work and discipline. Zambia is a good side and they have shown that. It is going to be tough like other [previous] games [in the tournament].
But this one is equally going to be very tough because we’ve conceded two goals at home. We will need to go there to score two or three goals and we must not concede,” explained Mtawali.
Previously during the first preliminary encounters, the Junior Flames drew 1-1 with Botswana in Blantyre and demolished the Tswanas 2-0 away in Gaborone.
Again in the second preliminary games against the Democratic Republic of Congo the first leg encounter ended in a 1-1 stalemate but the return leg ended 2-0 in Malawi’s favour.
So the Junior Chipolopolo mentor has good reasons to tread cautiously when the two sides take to the turf particularly with the peculiar record the Junior Flames have shown in this tournament.
“I know Malawi will want to do everything to upset tables but the boys [Junior Chipolopolo] are aware that Saturday is marked for victory and will not take any chances,” declared Chilombo.
But his counterpart, Ernest Mtawali is not taking things lying down; he said last week that his side is not completely out of contention declaring that they will fight tooth and nail to get a result in Lusaka.
“We need to wake up and we’re going to do just that. I know my players are capable and we are going to get a result in Zambia,” he said.
However, Mtawali acknowledged that it will not be a cakewalk to get the required result acknowledging that his boys will need to engage an extra gear to dismantle the Junior Chipolopolo.
“It will take a lot of hard work and discipline. Zambia is a good side and they have shown that. It is going to be tough like other [previous] games [in the tournament].
But this one is equally going to be very tough because we’ve conceded two goals at home. We will need to go there to score two or three goals and we must not concede,” explained Mtawali.
By: Joel Chirwa
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