Zambia national soccer team goalkeeper says not ready to hang boots

First choice goalkeeper of the Zambia national soccer team said he was not retiring from international football anytime soon because he still has a lot more to offer, the Times of Zambia reported on Thursday.

Kennedy Mweene, who has competed in five Africa Cup tournaments for the Zambia national soccer team, said his legs were still fresh and could allow him to play at least two more Africa Cup of Nations tournaments for the team.

The 30-year-old goalkeeper said following Zambia' s elimination from the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations currently underway in Equatorial Guinea that he would continue playing for the Chipolopolo as long as his legs were okay because it would be premature for him to hang his boots.

"I think my legs are still fresh and will still allow me to play. So I will play as long as my legs are still okay. For me, I think I don' t look at retiring soon, it' s too soon for me," the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations winning goalkeeper was quoted as saying by the paper.

Mweene, who plays for South African team Mamelodi Sundowns, further blamed lack of experience for most of the players on the team' s failure to progress at the 2015 tournament.

"We have players. It' s just the experience we are lacking. We' ve got a lot of young players," he added.

The Chipolopolo were knocked out after finishing bottom of Group B with two points. They drew 1-1 with the Democratic Republic of Congo, lost 1-2 to Tunisia before recording a barren draw with Cape Verde.

This is the second time the 2012 African champions are being kicked out of Africa' s soccer showpiece in the preliminary stage after doing the same in 2013 when the tournament was hosted by South Africa. Endi