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Cote d'Ivoire U-23 confident of win over Zambia

Xinhua, July 31, 2015 Adjust font size:

Cote d'Ivoire U-23 national soccer team has expressed confidence in beating Zambia during the Senegal CAF U-23 qualifier game, the Zambia Daily Mail reported on Friday.

Assistant coach Souhalio Haidara said when the team arrived in Lusaka, the Zambian capital, that the young elephants are targeting qualification to the Senegal finals.

"The Zambian team is one of the best we have played. It won't be easy for us but that' s what we are here for," he was quoted as saying by the paper.

The two teams will meet in the second round leg of the U-23 CAF qualifiers at Nkoloma Stadium after they battled to a barren draw in the first leg in Abidjan two weeks ago.

Fighton Simukonda, the coach of the Zambia U-23 national soccer team said his team was determined to qualify for the Senegal finals.

"We are ready to face Cote d'Ivoire. Fans must come in numbers on Saturday to support us. We are not under pressure and the boys are ready for the game," he said.

He said his target was to qualify the team for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, adding that the only team standing in the way was Cote d'Ivoire. Endi