Federation of Zambia Association (FAZ) has come out to explain why Chipolopolo will pitch camp in Saudi Arabia ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Ivory Coast.
A statement signed by FAZ President Andrew Kamanga clarified the decision: “The Chipolopolo preparations for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations are underway with the team entering camp in the next few days in Lusaka. The team will then head to Saudi Arabia for the international camp where they will play some friendly matches.
“Naturally, Saudi Arabia is logistically logical as other teams will set up pre-tournament camps there which makes it easy to network on friendly games. It also provides a quiet corner to prepare better for the assignment at hand. We have every reason to believe that with good preparations we can have a fruitful tournament. We have a group of players that have grown together over time and are hungry to write their own history. We must ensure that we support them organizationally.
Read Also: AFCON: Zambia league to take break for Ivory Coast tournament
“We also appeal to the fans to speak positivity into the team’s aspirations and urge them to do our nation proud. We have consolidated our engagements with government over the preparations for the AFCON and hopeful that all the logistics will be on point.”
The Chipolopolo will play their opening match at the AFCON on January 17 against the Democratic Republic of Congo. They will face Tanzania four days later while their final match will be against Morocco on January 24.