Zambia U-20 coach Chisi Mbewe says his charges expect a tough challenge from each of the Group C opponents but are ready to kickstart their chase for a world cup place.

And captain Dominic Kanda says the first game is important and will be tackled seriously.

Speaking during a pre-match press conference at Alexandria Stadium, Mbewe says the teams is ready for Tuesday’s opening match against Benin.

He said that his team had benefitted from their early arrival in Egypt as part of acclimatization.

“The first game is very important; it is the game that will set the tone or path of where we want to go. So, the most important thing is we just need to work extra hard, we need to emphasize and encourage the players all the time, we need to remind them of the reason we are here,” he says.

Mbewe says his team has set world cup qualification as the minimum benchmark.

“We know there are 12 teams, all the teams are fighting for one common goal which is to qualify for the World Cup and win the AFCON which is not going to be easy. The most important thing is we have to stay focused and be able to fight and achieve our goals in this tournament,” he says.

“I think all the teams will be tough, football being what it is, you just need to prepare, you need to be ready for any team.”

And Kanda says the team were focused on beating Benin before thinking about subsequent fixtures.

“Our expectation is qualifying for the world cup and then challenge for the cup,” he said.

“The mood is high, everyone is doing fine, we are looking forward to tomorrow’s game.”

Kanda adds: “The first match is always important; we just need to take it seriously because we must get the three points. It is very important to us as players.”

Zambia is Group C alongside Benin, The Gambia and Tunisia.

Kelvin Trudeau Musako

Football Journalist | TotalEnergies AFCON 2021 Photographer | Media Officer - Kabwe Warriors FC | Graphic Designer | Videographer