The Zambia Under-20 Men’s National Team will commence their preparations for the TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations | COSAFA Qualifier Mauritius 2026 with coach Perry Mutapa summoning 32 players for camp.
Mutapa has summoned Netherlands based Fanwell Tembo who is on the books of Alphence Racing Club and Tumelo Mununga of CD Leganes in Spain among the promising starlets that he hopes to assess before heading to Mauritius.
Others are South Africa based Sipho Muntanga who stars for Randburg FC and former under-17 star Lineker Mbesuma from Roan United. After the initial assessment camp, the technical bench will incorporate some of the top performing players from the Under-17 squad that were at the Qatar FIFA World Cup.
Apart from opening the door for some foreign based starlets, Mutapa has drafted some promising lads from the local pool to ensure that he builds a winning side. The under-20 camp will be an opportunity for the technical bench to narrow down their options ahead of the Cosafa which will run from 18-27 September.
Top two teams at the tournament will qualify to the Ghana 2027 AFCON which will be a passage to the FIFA World Cup. Zambia is in Group C alongside Malawi, Botswana and Comoros.
FULL PROVISIONAL SQUAD
(GOALKEEPERS); Stacial Kangwa (Chirundu United), Hendrix Kanyungu (Makeni All Stars), Friday Kampamba (Zesco United).
(DEFENDERS); Davies Chiwisa, Mathews Makukula (both Relentless Kings Football Academy), Titus Bwalya (Indeni Football Club), Samson Ngoma (Mines United), Joseph Sikandi, Warren Kalenje (both Billy Sports Academy), Maurice Masuku (Red Arrows).
(MIDFIELDERS); Philimon Chilimina (Chirundu United), Elvis Mulenga (Red Arrows), Clement Banda (Power Dynamos), Bunonge Bunonge (Lumwana), Moffat Ng’ambi (Trident), Charles Walawala (Modern Skills Soccer Academy), Kayula Chinunda (Mphande Youth Soccer Academy), Paul Mwape (Mutondo Stars), Nuto Banda (Morning Stars), Wise Kabanji (Zanaco), Evaristo Himoonga (Chirundu United), Paul Halwindi (Ndola United), Marvelous Chishimba (Gomes Academy), Allan Mumba (Zesco United), Tumelo Mununga (CD Leganes-Spain), Dennis Mwendabai (Lusaka Youth Soccer Academy), Lineker Mbesuma (Roan United).
(STRIKERS); Sipho Muntanga (Randburg FC-SA), Fanwell Tembo (Alphence Racing Club-Holland), Gibson Mooya (Power Dynamos), Billy Daka (Nkwazi), John Foloko (Mufulira Wanderers).
NOTE: This camp is an assessment camp with some players from the U17 FIFA World Cup pool expected to join in the next camp.
