By Maimbo Mweemba
Chipolopolo midfielder Roderick Kabwe has urged fans to rally behind the team as they play back-to-back games against Mauritania and Tunisia in the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers next month.
And Kabwe has thanked FAZ for organizing a high-level camp for the Chipolopolo in Morocco as part of preparations for the September 3 away game to Mauritania.
Speaking to the FAZ media in Marrakech where the team is having a 10-day international camp as part of preparations for Mauritania clash, Kabwe said it was important for the team to start strongly in the qualifiers.
The team has settled very well. First all I would like to thank FAZ for bringing us here, we expect this type of weather where we are going. It is good that we here to acclimatize to the type of weather we expect in Mauritania.
“We expect fans to rally behind us as football is a group type of sport, we expect them to be together with us,” said the Black Leopards midfielder.
“We urge them to rally behind us and continue supporting as we need their support as much as we are the ones playing, the fans are important.”
He also said everyone was working very hard in the team trying to secure a placed in the squad for the two games.
“Competition is high, everyone wants to play, everyone wants to earn a spot in the team. we are trying our best to win the first game. the first game is very important,” he said.
Kabwe said the foreign based players expected after their weekend games will boost the squad.
“It will be a huge boost once the other players come, we expect them to reach the level where we are in as much as we know where they are coming from, playing a high-level football in Europe, the English Premiership is in of the toughest league in the world and others like Fashion playing in Scotland. It will be a very big boost for the team,” he said.
Coach Beston Chambeshi has 22 players in camp and is expecting foreign based players to join in the final stages of preparations in line with FIFA regulations.
Zambia will be away in Nouakchott on September 3 before hosting Tunisia four days later in Ndola in back-to-back Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The Chipolopolo are in Group B with Tunisia, Mauritania and Equatorial Guinea.
Group winners will join nine other teams on the continent in the final qualifying round that will see teams paired in two-legged knockout ties.
The five winners will qualify to the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup.
FAZ media
