Zambia U-23 trainer seeks strong friendlies ahead of finals

Head coach of the Zambia Under-23 national soccer team said friendly games against strong teams will help shape his team ahead of the 2015 Senegal Africa under-23 Championship finals, the Zambia Daily Mail reported on Tuesday.

Zambia qualified to the finals on Saturday after beating Cote d'Ivoire 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw over two legs.

The trainer said he will seek for friendly games with strong teams from North and West Africa which will help his team shape up ahead of the finals.

While acknowledging that his team was not scared of any team at the finals, the Zambian trainer said good preparations will go a long way in determining how far the team will go at the finals.

"It is just a matter of preparations. We are ready to face any team and all we need are just adequate preparations. All the teams that have qualified are strong," he was quoted as saying by the paper.

The trainer has, however, reiterated his optimism that the team will qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

The Africa under-23 Championship finals will have three teams from North Africa namely Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia, while West Africa will be represented by Nigeria, Mali, and hosts Senegal. Zambia and South Africa will represent the southern African region.

The top three teams at the 2015 Africa under-23 Championship finals will progress to the Olympic Games with the fourth finishers facing an Asian side in a playoff. Endi