Chipolopolo coach Milutin Sredojevic laid out his plan ahead of the African Nations Championship that includes three international friendly matches.

And FAZ president Andrew Kamanga says his executive was working closely with the Chipolopolo technical bench to ensure that they met all their targets.

Addressing a media briefing at National Heroes Stadium, Sredojevic who is better known as Micho said Zambia would participate in a three-nation tournament on March 17-20 as part of preparations for the CHAN.

“We are having verbal agreements with the office of the General Secretary to have confirmation of a preparation tournament where we shall play against Uganda and Zimbabwe between 17th and 20th we shall play two international friendly matches against Uganda and Zimbabwe,” said Micho.

“On our way back we are looking to play a team like Rwanda. Playing those teams will help our CHAN team.”
Micho who is currently having a look at some 67 local players drawn from Lusaka, Southern, Eastern, Copperbelt and Western provinces saying that 20 players will be selected from the current stream while the same number will be picked from the Copperbelt drills.

“We have, with the local coaches cross-checked 131 players from the Super Division and First Division. Those are recommended by coaches. We are not looking at the players of Zanaco of Zanaco because they have enough international games in the CAF. We shall check them when they play their home and away CAF game,” he said.
“We are looking to narrow the square to 40 players from our Copperbelt and Lusaka stream. We will get 20 from the Lusaka trials and 20 from Copperbelt. From 40 of them practically we shall reduce to 30.”
Micho said he was casting the net wide to National Division One and across the provinces to ensure that no player with potential was left behind.

The man dubbed the Serbian Wolf said that his four pillars for development would be hinged on the junior teams, Cosafa, international friendly matches and the CHAN tournament.
“The first pillar is under-17, 20, 23 and that is a pillar we are looking for promotion to the senior team. The second pillar is we are looking at the Cosafa tournament, to have as soon as possible players that are serious and we can recognize them and promote them. The third pillar is the international friendly matches where we intend to try and test and experiment. The fourth pillar is the CHAN tournament,” he said.

“From the pillars of development we are looking to draw a competitive Chipolopolo team that will help us enter the doors of heaven which is Africa Cup qualification. Here I mean we have two games against Botswana and the third game here against Algeria and Zimbabwe away in Harare.”
Micho also said he would in the long term take a look at players of Zambian descent that would love to don national colours despite being born elsewhere.

He also called for support for the Chipolopolo despite having stumbled in the first two games of Africa Cup of Nations qualification.

Micho said he expected Zambians to be more supportive of their team even in hard times.
The Serbian took over the Chipolopolo job on February 3 and has immediately gotten to re-organize the Chipolopolo brand from the base.

Micho has his eye on the March 26 and March 31 back-to-back matches against Botswana in the Africa Cup of Nations race and also the CHAN that will be staged in Cameroon from April 4-25.

Meanwhile Kamanga said his executive would give the Chipolopolo the best possible preparations as they prepared for their international engagements.

Kelvin Trudeau Musako

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