Europe-based pro joins Zambia squad
Malawi under-20 national football team rivals, Zambia, have drafted Europe-based playmaker, Edward Chilufya, in their squad for the Cosafa Junior Championship.
Chilufya, who was part of the 2016 Cosafa championship-winning squad in South Africa, has replaced Niza Simutenda who has broken his arm.
The midfielder, who was also part of the junior Chipolopolo side that reached the 2017 Fifa Under-20 World Cup quarter-finals, received the call-up as he was already in Lusaka on holiday.
Chilufya, 18, plays for Swedish top- f l ight club Djurgardens, and his arrival in camp has excited Zambia Coach, Mumamba Numba.
“He is the only player still eligible to play in the next Under-20 Afcon (Africa Cup of Nations) qualifiers. So, he is part of this team.
“We thought that, since he was in the country, and we had an injury, we needed to replace someone that is why we brought him to join his colleagues,” Numba told Lusaka Times.
Chilufya said he was very excited to join the junior Chipolopolo camp whose players had trained in Lusaka for three weeks before relocating to Kitwe, host city for the regional youth tournament.
Malawi Team Manager, Griffin Saenda, said they were not shaken by Zambia’s inclusion of the foreign-based player.
Malawi will take on Zambia tomorrow before meeting Uganda on Monday. All games are scheduled for Arthur Davies Stadium.
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