On-form Ngele Boosts Zebras
Chakalisa Dube | Monday November 9, 2020 13:09
Ngele has been banging the goals for TTM. So far, he has scored three goals in as many games since the beginning of the South African Premier League season.
He is expected to form a vital component of the Zebras team that will face Zambia in Lusaka on Thursday. He is currently the most active and in-form Zebras player.
Supersport United defender, Thatayaone Ditlhokwe was also arrived for the camp but might not feature on Thursday.
“He (Ditlhokwe) has just returned from injury. He will be assessed by the technical team, but at the moment it does not look like he will feature prominently. He is still trying to regain his match fitness,” said Botswana Football Association (BFA) spokesperson Tumo Mpatane. The major undoing for the Zebras is that the team has not played many friendlies as compared to their Thursday opponents. Zambia has played friendlies with fairly better sides such as South Africa and Kenya. Most of their players have also been relatively active in their leagues of late.
“We are happy with the level of our preparations. We are aware that Zambia has been intensively preparing for this game but our players are also psyched up for the game. We have done our homework. Our biggest advantage is that our players have been in camp for a long time something that has enabled the coaches to intensively work with them. Zambia will not have an easy match,” Mpatane said.
Zambia on the other hand have assembled a very strong side ahead of the Thursday qualifiers. They have called in Europe-based midfielder Enoch Mwepu as part of their preparations.
Red Bull Salzburg duo Patson Daka and Enock Mwepu have grabbed headlines for their starring roles for their club’s dominance in 2019-20 Austrian Bundesliga season.
Daka, who attracted the attention of established teams in Europe such as Liverpool after he scored 24 goals and eight assists for Salzburg last season has been left out due to injury. Forward Fashion Sankala who plies his trade with KV Oostende in Belgium is also one of the deadly players called for the Zebras clash.
Zambia have made it clear that they want to get their qualifying campaign back on track following defeats to Algeria (5-0) and Zimbabwe (2-1) have also called in Ngele’s teammate Justin Shonga and Amazulu’s Augustine Mulenga. Ditlhokwe’s teammate Gampani Lungu who has started the season on a fairly good note is also part of the team.
The Zebras also have a mountain to climb if they are to qualify for the 2021 Cameroon showpiece. They are third in Group H after they only managed one draw and a loss in two matches. Algeria leads the group with six points having won all their two matches.
Zimbabwe are second with four points, having won one match and earning a draw against the Zebras. Zambia are bottom having lost all their two opening fixtures. Two top placed teams will qualify for the 2021 AFCON.
Tumo added, “This will be an interesting match because all the teams are eager to get their campaign back on track.”
The Zebras were expected to depart for Zambia yesterday (Sunday) late afternoon and will return a day after the match to prepare for the second leg billed for November 16 at the Francistown sports complex.
At the time of going to press, Zebras coach Adel Amrouche was expected to name his final 23 players to travel to Zambia.